No More Heroes
by NEIWIS
Summary: Sequel to Olympian Plains. Four months have passed since the Titan's attack on city hall. Hylla is still trying to work through her grief, and Thalia is trying to outrun the guilt of causing someone she loved to die. As the Titans move forward with their plans, they unknowingly unleash a new threat to the city, and this threat will ensure there is finally peace, no matter the cost.
1. Depression and Therapy Sessions

**This is the sequel to Olympian Plains. I was going to wait to post it, but a lot of ideas for this story have been running through my head. I plan to update every Sunday.**

**I hope everyone enjoys.**

**This story is dedicated to my best friend Jack, who helped make this story possible.**

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"Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Those are the five stages of grief that everyone goes through when they lose a loved one. What stage do you think you are on, Miss Ramirez?" the therapist asked. She was the fifth or sixth therapist that Hylla had seen in the last month. They never lasted long enough for her to even remember their names. From what she had seen so far, this one would be no different.

The therapist looked to be in her middle ages, and if it wasn't for the makeup that caked her face, she would have seemed like the kind aunt you would go out of your way to see. Instead, she looked like she had been kicked out of the circus. Her black hair was pulled into a bun, but most of it came out at odd places and made it look like someone had rubbed a balloon against her head. The only thing normal about the woman was her kind, brown eyes.

Hylla sat back against the couch and stared out the window that was behind the therapist's head. The sun was starting to set, making the sky glow. For a moment, everything seemed peaceful. Grief wasn't stabbing Hylla in the heart. The moment passed all too quickly, and she closed her eyes tightly. A knee gently pressed against Hylla's. It was a reminder that Kinzie was there, as she had been for the last few months.

Hylla slowly looked down at the knee. She didn't want to be at the therapist. All she wanted to do was be back at their house, curled up in the bathtub with a bottle of wine. If she could just get blackout drunk and forget her problems, things would be fine.

"Is it denial?" the therapist asked. Hylla closed her eyes. Denial was something that she knew well. She still woke up and made three plates for breakfast. Kinzie never said a word about it. She just made that third plate disappear. Kinzie would take Aurum and Argentum outside whenever Hylla assumed it had already been taken care of.

"What about anger?" the therapist continued. Anger was Hylla's best friend lately. She felt it every single day. Part of her anger was directed at herself for dragging her little sister into the world of heroes and villains. More anger was directed at her mother for dragging Reyna into the middle of a war and into the crosshairs of an evil man. Most of the anger was aimed at Thalia Grace for not saving Reyna. The only emotion that Hylla felt lately was anger, and it was probably one of the only things keeping her alive.

"Bargaining?" the therapist asked. Hylla closed her eyes. Who was she suppose to bargain with? Was she suppose to put her hands together in prayer and wish with all of her heart that she could go back in time to four months ago and save her sister? None of that would work. Hylla wished it had been her. Hell, she wished it had one of the two so called heroes that had died. She just wished it was anyone but her sister.

"Depression?" the therapist finished. Hylla opened her eyes. Was she depressed? Most days, all she could really do was sit and stare at a wall. Kinzie usually prodded her to eat something, and they hardly went out anymore. In fact, Hylla didn't remember the last time they went out, other than to the different therapists. And the funeral.

It wasn't right for Hylla to have to bury her little sister. She had to bury the only family she had left, and there was no body to bury. There was no way for her to say goodbye to her little sister. Hylla buried her face into her hands and wanted to scream. Instead, she took a shaky breath and tried to calm down. A hand gently rubbed her back.

The only constant in her life was Kinzie, and Kinzie was the second thing that was saving Hylla's life. Kinzie didn't judge her for anything that had happened over the past few months. She was just there. Hylla didn't deserve her girlfriend. She took a shaky breath and looked up at Kinzie.

Kinzie was watching her with kind eyes. She was wearing her uniform: a skirt and dress suit. The Olympians, the great heroes and the namesake of their town, gave Kinzie a job with the city's main reporter. It was something that could kick start anyone's career in journalism, and it payed well. The Olympians also completely paid off Hylla's house, so they just have to pay for utilities. Kinzie's job handled that. The Olympians wanted to help more, but none of it mattered. Their pity offerings would never make up for her little sister dying because of them.

"I will not disrespect you by assuming that you have accepted your situation," the therapist said. Hylla slowly looked back at the woman. "Miss Ramirez, you cannot keep internalizing your grief. I understand that this is an unbearable situation, but you must open yourself a little. You must tell someone how you feel."

"My sister is dead. How am I suppose to feel?" Hylla yelled. She could feel the emotions that she tried to hold back coming to the surface. Half of her days were spent feeling nothing. The other half was spent feeling every single emotion that she didn't want to feel. "How am I suppose to react? Should I just magically be over it already? My little sister is fucking dead!"

Two hands grabbed Hylla's arm, and she felt Kinzie trying to sit her back down. Hylla pulled away from her girlfriend and stalked towards the closed door. She grabbed the door and tore it open. She also tore the door right off of its hinges. Hylla stared at the door.

If it wasn't for her power, for her stupid super strength, she wouldn't be in this situation. Her little sister would still be alive, and things would be fine. Hylla closed her eyes. It was all her fault. Everything was her fault. Why did she have powers? Why couldn't she just be a normal adult? Normal adults didn't have to bury their baby sister. Hylla let go of the door handle and felt tears start to pour from her eyes.

A hand grabbed her shoulder once again and turned her around. She was pulled into a tight hug. Hylla buried her face in Kinzie's chest and cried miserably. A gently hand rubbed her back, and Kinzie held her close. Kinzie spoke, "I'm here for you."

"I just want my sister back," Hylla cried. She still remembered the day that she lost her sister. She remembered watching Kronos force Thalia to decide between killing Reyna or Jupiter. For some reason, Thalia chose for her father to live. Jupiter had been willing to die, but Thalia decided to snuff out Reyna's life instead.

"I know," Kinzie whispered. Her usually calm voice sounded like it was starting to shake. Hylla tried to speak, but her cries only became worse. "I miss her too, Hylla. I wish we could go back in time and bring her back, but we can't. I'm sorry, Hylla. I'm so sorry."

Hylla felt Kinzie's shoulders shaking, as if she was crying as well. It took her a few moments to bring her hand to Kinzie's back and slowly rub it. Her girlfriend had been her rock for the past few months, and now, it was time for her to return a small portion of that.

Hylla couldn't stop her cries, but she felt someone leading her and Kinzie back to the couch. She didn't fight as she was sat down. Half of her attention was on trying to stop crying. The other half was focused on trying to comfort Kinzie. Hylla slowly pulled away and sat on the couch. Kinzie sat next to her and leaned on her.

"Here," the therapist offered. She held out a box of tissues. Hylla grabbed the box and wiped her eyes. She felt Kinzie leaning against her. "I know this is hard. Words cannot capture how you feel, but you are letting this tear you apart. Both of you are."

Hylla slowly looked at Kinzie. For the first time, she realized that she wasn't the only one grieving. Kinzie saw Reyna like a little sister as well, and Kinzie was the one who had been Hylla's rock. Hylla spoke, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry for grieving," Kinzie whispered. Hylla shook her head and wiped her eyes again. She felt a water bottle being handed to her. Hylla took a small sip and tried to think of her next words.

"I've been ignoring yours," Hylla whispered. She swallowed painfully. "I've been so focused on me. I haven't been there for you."

"You've been there, by just being here," Kinzie whispered. Out of the corner of her eye, Hylla watched the therapist for a reaction. Half of the other therapist had prescribed medicine as soon as they thought that Hylla had attempted to end her suffering. This one just watched, and the makeup seemed to help her poker face.

Hylla looked down. She didn't know how to get better. How was she suppose to get over her grief? Was someone just going to snap their fingers one day and make Hylla happy again? What was she suppose to do, especially since she was dragging Kinzie down with her. Hylla slowly realized that the therapy sessions were for Kinzie just as much as her, and she was the one who made sure they didn't see the same therapist twice.

"I'm worried about you, Hylla. Really worried," Kinzie began. "You hardly eat, and I keep finding you passed out, surrounded by beer bottles. I know you're hurting, but you don't tell me anything. You just either sit there or get mad at nothing. I just need to know how I can make you feel better. I can't lose you too."

"I just want my little sister back," Hylla whispered. Tears filled her eyes again. "I was suppose to protect Reyna, but I didn't. I'm the one who insisted that she meets our mother. I dragged her into being a vigilant. This is all my fault."

"It's not," Kinzie promised. She kissed Hylla's temple. "It will never be your fault, Hylla. The only person who is at fault is the person who pulled the trigger. Kronos did this. Please stop blaming yourself."

Hylla closed her eyes, and memories assaulted her. She remembered _that _day with horrifying clarity. Kronos and his goons had attacked city hall. The Olympians still didn't know why. They didn't know if the Titans wanted something, or if they were just trying to kill the Olympians. In the end, the attack was a failure. Most of the Titans were subdued at city hall, except for Kronos and one other Titan.

The two Titans had dragged Jupiter, Thalia, and Reyna to a bridge that had been the site of the great battle between the Olympians and Titans. Kronos forced Thalia to chose who had to die, and he broadcasted it for everyone to see. Hylla still remembered Thalia making that fateful choice, and she shuddered as the image of Kronos firing a bullet into her sister's skull ran through her head. In the ultimate sign of disrespect, Kronos had kicked Reyna's body off of the bridge.

To the city that was watching, Thalia's alter ego, Huntress, had chosen to save Jupiter: the businessman who had brought the city back from the brink and helped it prosper. Reyna was nothing more than the villain Praetor, and her loss wouldn't be that great. Kronos knew the truth of their identities, and he wanted the world to watch his show.

The only thing Hylla wanted to watch was that bastard suffering for what he had done, but that wouldn't happen until his trial. It was a mockery really. They had all the proof they needed. There was a video of the incident, and Kronos wasn't even denying it The Olympians still insisted on a trial, and apparently, they were going to force some hotshot lawyer who wasn't even in town at the moment to do it. Hylla could just hope that he got stabbed in jail, even though he was now in a refortified Tartarus: the supposed most secure jail in the world. After the first break in, they had increased their security even more.

"I'll try," Hylla began. She looked at Kinzie and saw relief on her girlfriend's face. She almost sighed sadly. That was all Kinzie wanted. Kinzie just wanted her to try. It didn't matter if it worked or not. Hylla needed to show that she was making an effort,but how could she? Kronos may have been the one who pulled the trigger, but Reyna would never be in that situation if it wasn't for Hylla.

Hylla took a deep breath and looked back at the door, which was now on the ground. They were definitely going to have to pay for a new door. Hylla looked at the therapist and spoke, "I'm sorry about that. I think I owe you a new door."

"You're fine, Miss Ramirez. They briefed me before you came, and you didn't kill my flower collection like that one boy did," the therapist said. She motioned toward the window sill that had empty pots covering it. "I wish I could say things will be easier over the next few months, but I don't think it will. Losing your only family is unbearable, but you cannot let yourself spiral down any further."

"I can give you a prescription for antidepressants, but I would like to try more natural solutions first," the therapist continued. "Try and go outside once a day for at least a hour. Make sure to eat consistent meals and try to exercise. I also recommend writing exercises. Write down what you're feeling. Don't read over your writing. Just get your feelings out. If writing is uncomfortable, talking aloud will work too."

"I'll try," Hylla muttered. It was the same thing that she told all of the therapists that she had visited, and they all gave her the same reaction: you need to do more than try. The others told Hylla that she should have made some kind of progress with her grief, but four months was not enough time to grieve. They also never told Hylla one important thing either; some days, Hylla would be okay, and on other days, she would have gone through the stages of grief twenty time before she had even gotten out of bed."

"I'm right here with you," Kinzie promised. Hylla closed her eyes and looked down. She leaned on Kinzie. "You didn't eat anything for breakfast, babe. Maybe, we should get something on the way home."

Hylla wanted to shrug. She wasn't hungry, and going out in public didn't sound like fun. Kinzie glanced at her and spoke, "We don't have to go inside. We can just pick up some food and eat at home."

Hylla finally forced herself to nod. She was going to try, so she could force herself to eat a few bites, even it was just to appease her girlfriend. The therapist spoke, "Would you like to come back for another meeting, Miss Ramirez?"

"Maybe," Hylla said. The therapist nodded and handed her a business card. After a moment, Hylla pocketed the card and leaned back against the couch, "I can pay you back for the door."

"It will not be the first time I had to replace the door," the therapist replied with a shrug. Hylla nodded and studied the therapist again. Underneath all that makeup, she saw someone who understood. The therapist didn't understand because it was job; it was because she had experienced grief. She had gone through Hylla's situation before.

Hylla slowly stood and looked back at the business card in her pocket. She stared at the card. It had a background of a wheat field, but she could still read the black ink on the card. There was a phone number and a name: Kore.

Hylla placed the business card into her pocket and slowly walked towards the fallen door. Kinzie followed behind and took up the rear. As the two stepped over the fallen door, Kore spoke, "You two have a good day. Call me if and when you're ready to set another meeting."

"Thank you," Hylla said. She looked at Kore and tried to verbalize how grateful she was that the therapist didn't try to poke and prod wounds that were still raw. She didn't demand that Hylla do certain things or try to get over the grief. Instead, all Hylla could do was meet Kore's eyes, and she received an understanding nod.

Hylla nodded back and followed Kinzie out of the office. As they walked, Hylla stayed focused on the ground. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about everything, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to know. The past four months had been so hard, and she didn't know when it was going to get better, if it was ever going to get better. All Hylla could do was try.

"Do you want to go anywhere in particular?" Kinzie asked. She led Hylla outside and towards their car. Hylla stared at the car window and tried to think. When nothing sounded appetizing, she shrugged. "Well, we can stop by somewhere close to home. Do you know what you want?"

Hylla shrugged again, and she hated herself for it. She looked at Kinzie and tried to apologize with her eyes. Kinzie just nodded and got into the car. Hylla slowly sat in the passenger seat and felt Kinzie grab her hand. She squeezed Hylla's hand tightly, but it was comforting.

"Fries," Hylla finally whispered. Kinzie nodded and didn't prod anymore. She started the car. Hylla rested her head against window and stared out at it. Her eyes unfocused, and she just stared at nothing. It seemed like she had made a step in the right direction, but she knew there was so much more work to do. This was just the start, and she had a long road ahead of her. As the car started to move, Hylla closed her eyes. Kinzie was focused on the road, and Hylla was focused on distracting herself. They were so focused on their individual tasks that neither noticed the figure standing in the shadows and watching them.


	2. Just Fine

**Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews.**

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Thalia stared up at the sun and couldn't stop the smile that was plastered onto her face. Things were going great. Her grades were on the rise, and her step mother was no longer badgering her about school. In fact, her step mother was on a business trip, and her father was engrossed in his company. That meant Thalia had free reign of her personal life and also of her hero responsibilities. No one could tell her what to do.

Thalia stretched out on the picnic table that she was laying on. It was her private spot that allowed her to be alone. Granted, a handful of people knew about it, but if they told anyone that they weren't suppose to, Thalia would kill them. She heard someone lay on the table next to and nudge her knee.

"The sun is almost as beautiful as you," Thalia began. Normally, she would hate the cheesy pick up lines, but since her girlfriend seemed to hate them just as much, it was fun to bounce stupid compliments back and forth. Even if Thalia thought the compliments were dumb, she still meant them. A hand grabbed hers and gentle squeezed it. Thalia smiled. "How are you doing today?"

"About the same as I have been," Reyna responded. Thalia closed her eyes and smiled. Without bothering to open her eyes, she turned her head and kissed her girlfriend. For a few moments, everything was great. Then, something trickled onto Thalia's nose.

Thalia tried to ignore it, but she felt something else trickle onto her nose. A faint scent of iron filled her nostrils. Thalia frowned and pulled away from her girlfriend. She placed a hand to her nose and opened her eyes. Thalia stared at the blood that was on her fingers. She looked up at Reyna and stared at the bullet hole that was in her girlfriend's head.

"It's hard for things to change when you're dead," Reyna whispered. Thalia closed her eyes tightly. When she reopened her eyes, she was back on the bridge that destroyed her life. She looked around for Kronos or her father, but neither were nearby. Thalia looked down and found Reyna laying on the ground, with blood trickling from her forehead.

"I'm sorry," Thalia began. She stared down at the gun that she held in her hands. The barrel of the gun almost seemed like it was smoking. Thalia closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. It felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest, and it was getting hard to breath. "I didn't kill you."

"You didn't fire the gun," Reyna agreed. She slowly sat up and grabbed the gun. Reyna didn't take the gun from Thalia. Instead, she pressed it against her own forehead, lining it up perfectly with the still bleeding wound. "But, you told Kronos to kill me."

"I had to make a choice," Thalia began. She tried to blink away her tears. "I'm sorry, Reyna. I'm sorry that I said I didn't want to date you anymore. The truth is that I loved you, and I was so conflicted. I was upset that you hid your secret, and I was upset that I hid my secret from you."

"If you loved me so much, you wouldn't have said that we were breaking up," Reyna said. "I told you that I was protecting my family. Hylla and Kinzie were being threatened by my mother and the Titans. I did what I had to do to protect them. You couldn't understand that and couldn't forgive me, but I am just suppose to forgive you for doing the same thing?"

"Oh, Thalia. Your pride and your need to have things follow your warped view are starting to catch up to you. How does it feel?" Reyna asked. Thalia tried to speak, but she just stared at the blood that trickled from Reyna's forehead.

"I wish I could take it all back. I wish it had me instead," Thalia said. She stared at the gun. Thalia couldn't move her arm, no matter how much she wanted to. Her arm refused to listen to her. Reyna slowly grabbed the gun with both hands and pulled it away from her forehead.

"Make it you then," Reyna whispered. Thalia stared at Reyna and then the gun. With a little help from Reyna, she turned the gun, so the barrel was facing her. Thalia pressed the gun against her own head, right between her eyes. Thalia took a deep breath, and she fired the gun.

A loud bang tore Thalia from her sleep. She quickly sat up and gasped for breath. Thalia heard laughing, and she slowly looked at the heavy backpack that was on the desk in front of her. Thalia slowly looked up at the owner of the backpack.

"If you want nap time, go back to first grade," Clarisse said. She grabbed her backpack and threw it on another desk. Thalia winced as she heard the same bang that woke her from her sleep. "You're in my seat."

Thalia slowly looked back at her desk. Her notebook looked like it had half written notes on it, and she didn't even remember falling asleep. Thalia quickly looked up at the clock and realized that she was going to be late to her next class. She quickly grabbed her notebook and threw it into her backpack.

"Hey," Clarisse said. She grabbed Thalia's arm, and for a moment, the senior actually looked concerned. The two had worked once or twice together to stop criminals, but Clarisse was too violent to be allowed on many of their jobs. "Don't drool on my desk again."

Thalia ignored Clarisse and pulled away from the bully. She started to walk towards the door of the classroom. How had she fallen asleep in class? Thalia had spent most of the night before awake, but that was thanks to a bad nightmare that had been brought about by stress. This nightmare was different though, and Thalia started to shake as she thought about it. She quickly tried to shake it off, and someone blocked her path.

Thalia expected it was Clarisse, probably to give her another insult or a shove out of the classroom. Instead, she found herself looking up at Minerva. Her teacher that lived a double life as a hero stared down at her. Thalia wanted to curse her luck. Out of all of classes that she could have fallen asleep in, she fell asleep in the one that had a mind reader.

"You need to go home," Minerva said. There was a scowl on her face, and Thalia did her best to not think of the dream. She knew Minerva was probably seeing bits and pieces, and that wasn't going to help Thalia's cause any. Minerva was the right hand of her father, and he usually listened to her on most things. Thalia was the exception. Minerva insisted that Thalia wasn't ready to return to her hero duties, and Jupiter insisted that she was.

"I'm fine," Thalia muttered. She appreciated Minerva's concern; she really did. The Olympians, the great heroes of the city who saved it so many years ago not only as their hero personas but also as their actual selves, were a tight knit family. They constantly watched each other kids but not many of them were actually good parents. It seemed like they were unsure how to handle kids, especially teenagers. They would ask if their children were okay, but they never cared enough to have their children elaborate. Minerva was different. She seemed to understand when something was actually wrong, or maybe, she was just reading their minds. Thalia could still appreciate it though, just not this time.

"It was not a suggestion," Minerva said. Her voice was quiet, so no one could hear them. Thalia felt eyes on the entire classroom on her back. Minerva didn't take too kindly to people who fell asleep in her class, but they all knew that Minerva was close friends with Thalia's father. That really just meant that Minerva would be tougher on Thalia.

"You can't just send me home. I have to get to my last class," Thalia argued. She pulled away from Minerva and walked out of the classroom. It didn't surprise her to hear her teacher follow behind her. "You don't need to worry about me. I just had a long night. I didn't mean to fall asleep in your class."

"You're still thinking of your dream," Minerva stated. Thalia looked down and desperately tried to change her thoughts. She tried to think of puppies or children or even pizza, but she kept going back to that image of Reyna placing the gun to her head. Thalia closed her eyes tightly. "School is almost over, and you need to get some sleep. I will call ahead to the office and let them know that you are leaving. If I find that you have gone to your next class, I will tell your father about your dream."

"You'll tell him anyway, so what does it matter?" Thalia muttered. She adjusted her backpack and stared at the ground. Minerva sighed. "You don't believe in me."

"I believe that you need more time to process everything before you go back to your duties, but that is out of my hands. Until you have proven that you cannot handle working in the field, I will not stand in your way," Minerva said. Thalia slowly looked up. "Just go home today and rest."

"Fine," Thalia muttered. She turned and stormed away from her teacher. Thalia wanted to go right to her next class, but if there was even a small chance that Minerva wouldn't tell her father, she needed to take it. She couldn't stand for other people to worry about her. Thalia was fine, and she was over what had happened to Reyna. It was just the lack of sleep that was starting to get to her.

As Thalia walked towards the office, she slowly looked around. Most of the other students were already in class, and she didn't see any of her friends. Of course, Annabeth would already be in class. Percy and Leo usually lagged behind and were late by a few minutes. Thalia didn't see either of them, and she wasn't sure if she felt relieved or not. They would ask her what was wrong, and she wasn't really ready for that.

The last few months had been spent with at least one of her friends at her side at every moment. She appreciated it, but she wasn't feeling suicidal. When things that reminded Thalia of Reyna came up, her friends would quickly change the conversation or get Thalia out of there. It was like they didn't realize that they were hindering Thalia's grieving process, not that she was grieving or anything. Thalia was fine. She just needed to keep doing things and keep her mind occupied, so she wouldn't fall into a pit of despair.

Thalia stopped at the front door to the office and took a deep breath. She stepped inside and immediately felt three pairs of eyes shot towards her. Thalia stared at the three old ladies who ran the office. One sat in front of her, and the other two sat on her left and right side, making some kind of demented triangle. All three of the old ladies looked to be in their sixties, but they were deceptively fast. Thalia had once seen them move so fast to break up a fight that it looked like they were flying.

All three had the same white hair pulled back into a bun and beady eyes that stared Thalia down. The only difference was the fact that the handbags that they always seemed to have were a different color, and it was the only real way to tell them apart.

"Ms. Minerva said that she called ahead. I'm leaving," Thalia began. The old hag with the red hand bag nodded. Those three really freaked Thalia out. Their beady eyes seemed to be able to pierce into the soul of anyone who stared at them for too long. The hag with the green bag pointed towards a clipboard at the far side of the room.

Thalia slowly nodded and walked past the three hags. While it sounded rude, there was a ninety eight percent chance that the three were actually demons. Whenever a teacher was sick, one of the three would play substitute, and it would be the worse day of that week, if not month. Thalia didn't want to say that the three tortured children for fun, but she hadn't found any evidence to prove the theory wrong.

Thalia made it towards the clipboard and signed her name. She put the date down and an illness for the reason that she was leaving the school. A glance back at the old ladies showed that they were all focused back on their desk. Thalia took a single step towards the door, and all three snapped their heads back towards her.

For a moment, Thalia debated saying something. Instead, she hurried out of the room and towards her locker. Thalia opened it and threw all of her books into her locker. She then slammed the door shut and grabbed her car keys. Maybe, it would be a good idea to go home and get some sleep. If there was an emergency later in the night, she would be able to go and keep herself busy. She would also be able to prove that she was ready to go back to being a superhero, no matter what anyone else said. Thalia was fine, and if she kept telling herself that, it would be true, sooner or later.


	3. Make Your Choice

"We just spent like a hundred dollars," Thalia began. She stared at the plethora of McDonald's bags that were spread across the table. They went inside to order, and Thalia felt really bad. The worker at the counter had been pleasant enough, until he saw the paper filled with the orders from their friends. His shoulders had drooped, and he seemed to resign himself to his fate. "I call sitting on the couch and eating fries while you guys sort food."

"You can help us with the food," Annabeth said. She picked up a bag and cradled it in her hands. Thalia caught a glimpse of what was inside the bag and realized that Annabeth was holding all of the fries hostage. Thalia stared at her best friend.

"Annabeth Chase, this is a literal crime. I will have my father put you in jail," Thalia threatened. Annabeth smirked and kept the bag away from Thalia. After a few moments of glaring, Thalia resigned herself to her own fate of having to help. She started to dig through the bags and separate out the food.

The others were currently with their mentors or parents. They were training and finishing up their yearly review. Thalia had her own review a few days prior, and Diana had been the one who reviewed her. Thalia's mentor held back no punches, but unlike the other heroes, Diana didn't mention anything about Thalia's mental state.

Everyone else was so worried about Thalia, and they didn't need to be. Thalia knew what was best for her. She knew how to get over her grief and manage it. Diana didn't worry about Thalia like the others did. She let Thalia do her own thing. Thalia felt like Diana was the only true parental figure in her life.

Thalia's step mother wasn't much of a mother, or much of a human being really. She cared more about her company than the two children Jupiter had taken in. Thalia's real mother had died when she was in middle school, and she still didn't know how to feel about it. In all honesty, she did everything in her power to not think of her mother.

Diana was a mother figure not only to Thalia but to a few other heroes. Diana vowed to never have any kids, and her twin was so sure that she was lying that he had made a bet with her. Thalia knew that the prize would be what each twin loved the most. For Apollo, it was his fancy sports car. For Diana, it was the bow that she had received from her long lost parents. Apollo threatened to make a lyre out of it if he won it, but Thalia knew it was all just talk. Apollo would just display the bow like Diana did but never let his twin live it down.

Diana, whether it be out of spite for Apollo or just the fact that she wasn't attracted to anyone, already had surgery to ensure that she wouldn't have kids. The look on Apollo's face had been picture worthy, and they all took plenty of pictures. He had almost cried when he finally handed over the keys a month ago.

"There's a Happy Meal for Nico," Thalia said. She pushed it off to the side and saw a hand grab it. Thalia turned her head and looked at the hand that had grabbed the happy meal.

"Sooner or later, Nico is going to have to eat a real meal," Bianca said. She looked at Thalia and smiled. Thalia engulfed the younger girl into a hug. The last time she had seen Bianca had been months ago. Bianca went on a retreat with Diana and a few other girls from the orphanage that Diana ran.

"When did you get back in town?" Thalia asked. She pulled away from the hug only for Annabeth to engulf Bianca in another hug. Bianca smiled and hugged Annabeth back. When Bianca first went on the retreat, she had been shy and also wore a floppy, green hat that covered her eyes. Now, that hat was buried in her jacket pocket, and her hair was braided behind her back, showing off her face.

Thalia had seen a few pictures of Bianca's mother, and Bianca looked almost exactly like her mother, but her eyes looked exactly like her father's. They didn't talk about Bianca's father though. That was not a subject that anyone would touch.

"Last night," Bianca replied. She helped them sort the food and sat at the table. "It's pretty quiet at home, so I thought I would tour the city. Diana told me to come here and find you guys. She said that Thalia would be mentoring me on missions."

"So, we have a new superhero joining the fold?" Annabeth wondered. There was a small smile on her face. "It took us forever to get Nico to work with us."

"Nico wasn't too happy to see me," Bianca said. She lost her smile and looked down at the ground. It looked like she wanted to elaborate. Instead, she looked up. "So, what is the first thing I need to know about being a hero?"

"You need a hero name, to be able to disguise yourself," Annabeth began. Thalia shook her head.

"You need a cool costume, to properly disguise yourself. The hero name is something we have to work on, but we have to beat the reporters to the punch. They give out terrible names," Thalia said, and she gave Annabeth a pointed look.

"Costume and name. Got it. Any actual advice for when I go out in the field?" Bianca asked. She sat down at the table. "Diana was telling me that they have a new buddy system and communication system for everything, after what happened at city hall."

"We'll go over that later," Annabeth said quickly. Her eyes moved towards Thalia, but all Thalia did was stare down at her food. "I have a manual of rules and procedures that you can read over. It had my notes in it as well. It's only about five hundred pages. I'll go get it."

Bianca's eyes widened, and she stared up at Annabeth. There was a dead serious look on Annabeth's face, but it only took a few moments for her to smile and laugh. Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. She went to speak, but they heard the sound of an alarm. Thalia quickly grew serious and stood. She grabbed her work phone from her pocket and opened it. Thalia pressed the green button on the top corner of the phone. Annabeth did the same.

"Let's get some on the job training," Annabeth stated. She flipped open her laptop and quickly signed in. Bianca and Thalia moved behind Annabeth and stared down at the laptop. From the map on Annabeth's computer, the alarm was coming from an office building that was on the other side of town.

"That's an office for Vulcan Industries," Thalia said. Annabeth nodded and picked up her laptop. She walked towards a door that had a keypad on it. Without looking, Annabeth typed into the keypad and watched the door open. She stepped into the room. Thalia escorted Bianca into the room and towards the wall that held their things.

All of their uniforms and gadgets were hanging on the wall. There was a five foot long space for everyone, and a small footlocker on the ground that each of them could store their uniform in. Thalia quickly changed into her uniform and grabbed her mask. She stuck it in her pocket and grabbed her bow.

Thalia slung her bow and some arrows across her back. Then, she grabbed her other bow and handed the rest of the arrows off to Bianca. At the same time, Annabeth was also handing Bianca a mask and jacket.

"Thank you," Bianca began. She looked a little overwhelmed. Thalia took the arrows back, and Annabeth took the bow. Bianca quickly put the jacket on and stuffed the mask in her pocket. Annabeth grabbed a spare pair of cargo pants. Bianca quickly changed and followed them out of the room.

"First rule of being a hero is to stay safe," Annabeth said. She looked like she was going to give Thalia a look but quickly seemed to change her mind. "If we're working on a team, we listen to one person. That's usually the person with the most experience, but it's normally Thalia, since she's bossy."

"You're the bossy one," Thalia said. She led the two towards her garage and got inside the pure black car. The windows were tinted, so no one could see in. The car was like a warning for any criminals. If a criminal was going to commit a crime and saw the car, they knew that the heroes were on patrol.

Annabeth offered the passenger to Bianca and then climbed in the back. Annabeth spoke, "Bossy here likes to drive at insane speeds. Just make sure to wear your seatbelt, and we can probably make it to the crime scene without crashing."

"You said it was at a Vulcan Industries office. Isn't that the guy who makes all of those inventions and robots?" Bianca asked. Thalia nodded. She wasn't sure why anyone would bother to break into the office. There was no corporate secrets inside the office, mostly.

As they drove, Thalia heard a phone buzz. She glanced down and looked at Annabeth. After a moment, Annabeth grabbed her phone and answered it. While Thalia couldn't hear what was being said, she did see the frown on Annabeth's face. Part of her thought it was Minerva, and she really prayed that it wasn't. There was no way that Thalia was going to turn the car around, especially if Minerva ordered it.

"Understood. We'll see you soon," Annabeth said, and she hung up her phone. Thalia gripped her steering wheel and stared ahead. Of course this would happen. She should have known that Minerva would go back on her word and tell Thalia's father. Thalia wasn't just going to back down though.

"Who was that?" Bianca asked. She leaned forward. Thalia glared at the road in front of her and pressed her foot more into the gas pedal. The car sped up, and Annabeth nudged Thalia's arm.

"It was my mother. She told us to meet up with the other heroes after we investigate the break in but to be safe. Apparently, Vulcan has a very important AI chip in his office. It's suppose to be for combat," Annabeth explained. Thalia relaxed and lifted her foot from the gas pedal.

"AI combat chip? I wasn't aware that we were making robots," Thalia muttered. Annabeth gave her a look. "What? Do you remember about a year ago when Vulcan tried making those security drones, and they backfired and attacked us?"

"Wasn't that when you and Praetor teamed up for like a minute to save Thalia?" Bianca asked. Annabeth quickly looked away, and Thalia tightly gripped her steering wheel. Hearing Reyna's villain name didn't bother her. Not at all. It didn't remind her of what happened on that bridge. "What's wrong?"

"Did Nico tell you?" Annabeth asked quietly. Bianca looked at them and looked lost. She shook her head. Annabeth bit her lip. "Do you know how Reyna and Thalia were dating? Well, Reyna was Praetor."

"Oh," Bianca said, and she looked down. Thalia glanced at them and looked back at the road. One of them would have to stay by Bianca and watch her back. This would be her first real mission, and if thieves were breaking into Vulcan's office, they had to be well armed or just crazy. If it was so serious though, their parents wouldn't have let them go alone. It's not like they actually trusted them to get the job done without supervision.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Bianca said. Thalia shrugged and stayed focused on the road. She didn't need to think about Reyna. All she needed to do was stay focused on what was in front of her. She needed to overwork her brain and distract herself.

"Bianca, you'll be with Annabeth. The two of you secure the perimeter. I'll go inside," Thalia said. She pulled up a block away from the office and slipped on her mask. Annabeth and Bianca followed suit. The three of them started to make their way towards the office building, but Thalia quickly split off from the two.

As Thalia walked towards the back entrance of the office, she stared at the alley. There was a trash bin that was suppose to be at the edge of the alley, but it had clearly been moved to the middle. There was broken glass laying on top of it. Thalia carefully climbed on top of the trash bin and looked up at the broken window above her.

The window was too tall for someone to reach on their own, so there was probably two thieves. Thalia placed a hand to her earpiece and spoke, "Annabeth, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Annabeth responded. "We don't see anything out here. There is no get away cars or even a helicopter. There is a sewer entrance."

"Keep an eye on it. I found a broken window, but it's pretty high up. I think there is two thieves," Thalia stated. She lowered her hand and took a deep breath. Thalia jumped up and thought of air beneath her feet. She felt the air push her up towards the window, and she caught onto it. Thalia pulled herself into the office.

It wasn't hard to follow the trail of the thieves. One had cut themselves and left a trail of spotting blood on the carpet. There was also the fact that they didn't bother to close any doors behind them. Thalia carefully walked out of the office she was in and into a foyer. A glance around showed the thieves had gone towards the stairs. Thalia jogged up the stairs and found an open door on the top floor.

Thalia stepped into the top floor and looked around. She could see Vulcan's office right ahead of her, and the door had been torn off of its hinges. Thalia walked inside the office and found that it had been torn apart. Someone knew exactly how to get into the office, but they didn't know where the AI was. It seemed like an inside job but not inside enough to know the important things.

Thalia's wasn't sure how dangerous this combat AI was suppose to be. Vulcan was a genius when it came to inventing things, but most of his inventions were peaceful things. The violent ones always had some kind of kink or flaw to them that caused them to be more dangerous to their creator than anyone else.

A glance around the office showed nothing else that was helpful. The one window in the office was still intact, so the thieves had already left the way they came. Or, they were still looking around. Thalia heard a muffled bang, and she tensed. She felt pain in her leg and looked down. There was nothing there, and the pain seemed like more of a memory than anything. The bang was real though, and it belonged to a gun. Thalia turned and ran from the office. She made it towards the stairs and practically threw herself down them.

It was possible that the thieves had managed to slip past her only to run into Annabeth and Bianca. There was no way that Annabeth would use a gun, and unless Diana's retreats now included gun training, Bianca didn't either. Thalia made it down the steps and ran for an open exit. She ran out of the exit and came to a sudden stop.

A hooded figure was standing over Annabeth. They were holding a gun to her head. Annabeth was sitting on the ground and had a bloody mouth. Her gaze seemed to be focused on a bullet hole that was in the ground near her, probably a warning shot. It seemed like the other thief was missing, and Bianca was as well.

"Let her go," Thalia ordered. She took a step forward and stared at the hooded figure. Her gaze focused on the gun, and that was the only thing she could focus on. The hooded figure said something, but Thalia didn't hear it. She could hear another voice in her ear.

"_I am running out of patience. Make your choice,_" Kronos whispered in her ear. Thalia closed her eyes, and she could imagine herself back on the bridge. Another person she cared for was about to die, but Thalia wasn't going to allow that to happen, not again.

Thalia felt lightning building in her hands. Her eyes snapped open, and she could see that the hooded figure had turned towards her. There was movement behind them, but Thalia didn't care. She would let another loved one die. Thalia threw her hand forward and watched lightning hit the hooded figure. They flew backwards and hit the wall with a sickening thud.

Thalia stared at the man and then looked down at Annabeth. She saw Bianca appear out of the shadows, right behind where the hooded figure had been. It seemed like she had been seconds from intervening, but seconds were more than they could spare. If Thalia hadn't acted, there was a good chance that Annabeth would be dead.

"Call an ambulance," Thalia ordered. Annabeth knelt by the hooded figure and felt their pulse. She looked at Thalia but didn't make a movement for the phone. "Annabeth."

"They're dead," Annabeth said. Thalia stared and shook her head. That wasn't right. She hadn't ever killed anyone with her powers, and today was no different. "I need to call my mother."

"They're not dead," Thalia argued. She shook her head and looked at Bianca. The only thing Bianca could was stare. This obviously wasn't how she expected her first mission to go. "Check again, Annabeth."

"Thalia, they're dead," Annabeth insisted. Thalia closed her eyes and felt her knees go weak. She collapsed to her knees and stared at the ground. How could she have killed someone? That was what villains did, and Thalia wasn't a villain, right?

For now, Thalia wasn't so sure. She had caused Reyna to die, and now, someone else had died because of her powers. This robber was on the wrong team though. She was a hero, and they were a villain. Thalia took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

"What did they try to steal?" Thalia whispered. She looked up at Bianca. "What is so important that one of them died for it?"

"My mother said it's a combat AI named Talos, but that's all we know," Annabeth said. She stood from the body and slowly grabbed her phone. Thalia could see all of the stress in her face.

"It's not important right now," Bianca whispered. Thalia shook her head and glared at the ground. There was no way she would be allowed back into the field after this. Minerva would convince Zeus that Thalia would need to stay in her bubble. "Let's get back to the base."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. She felt two sets of hands gently help her to her feet. All she could do was stare at the ground. She had done what Kronos said. Thalia had made her choice, and it made her sick to her stomach. This was two people that had died because of her. Was she really a hero, or was she quickly becoming one of the villains that she fought?


	4. I Wish

As Thalia pulled her car into the garage, all she could do was stare ahead. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Annabeth was watching her closely, as if looking for a reaction. Thalia wasn't going to give one. She was just fine, considering the fact that she had spent the last hour thinking she had killed someone.

Technically, Thalia did kill the thief. There was paramedics close by though, and they were able to restart the thief's heart. So, did it really count? Annabeth seemed to think so. She didn't say anything during the ride home, but she kept shooting looks the entire drive home.

Thalia got out of her car and didn't wait for the others. She couldn't even look at Bianca. This wasn't how Bianca's first mission was suppose to go. Bianca was suppose to learn how to stay safe and how to listen to Thalia. Then, she would catch her first criminal. How had the night gone so wrong?

Annabeth would probably take over the main training responsibilities for Bianca, which was fine. Annabeth could teach Bianca all of the rules and procedures. Thalia would just make sure that she taught Bianca how to properly take down criminals.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bianca asked. Thalia glanced back at them and walked out of the garage and towards their small meeting room. She would just need to grab the keys to her own personal car and get away from everyone. "Someone did die."

Thalia stopped in front of the door and threw it open. Then, she turned towards Bianca and spoke, "I didn't kill anyone. They restarted the thief's heart, so I didn't kill him. Got it?"

Bianca didn't say a word. She just nodded. Thalia turned around and stared inside their meeting room. Percy and Piper were sitting at the table and staring at her. Fries were hanging out of Percy's mouth. Piper looked like she wanted to say something, but she ended up just staring.

"It doesn't count," Thalia snapped, as she looked at the two of them. She sat down in a chair and crossed her arms angrily. Thalia glared at the ground. When she had seen the gun pointed at Annabeth, all she could do was flash back to the bridge. She remembered Kronos taunting her, and every part of her thought she was going to lose another person she loved. Thalia would not allow that to happen again.

How would she explain it to the Olympians though? They would want to know why she hadn't waited for Bianca. It was true that Thalia didn't see Bianca there, but she also didn't really look. If Thalia had seen Bianca, the outcome probably wouldn't have been any different. There was no way for her to trust that inexperience wouldn't get in the way.

As Thalia thought about what happened, she took a deep breath. Words couldn't begin to describe how relieved she felt when the paramedics had restarted the thief's heart. It meant that she didn't actually kill anyone, and she wouldn't be pulled from doing missions. The thief would spend the night in the hospital, and once he was discharged, he would go straight to jail. The Olympians would have a talk with him first.

The entire situation still bothered Thalia. She didn't doubt it was an inside job. Two thieves with almost no tools broke into a secure office for Vulcan Industries. They knew exactly where to find Vulcan's office and where he kept the AI. Only people who worked there could have known the easiest path to take, so it was inside job.

Annabeth shared those thoughts with her mother on the ride home. Minerva had been on speaker, and thankfully, she didn't comment on what Thalia had done. She did tell them that Vulcan had taken everyone who worked in his office out to dinner only a hour before the break in. Their families were invited as well, and according to Minerva, everyone showed up.

That meant the thieves knew that no one would be working late. They must have been given the information by someone who worked there, but Thalia didn't know who would have the motive. Vulcan made a ton of inventions, but a lot of them were to solve specific problems in the town. There wasn't any rival corporations that would be able to make much use of the knowledge, so what were the thieves trying to accomplish?

The thieves were willing to kill for the AI. Why was it so important? Thalia sighed tiredly as no answer came to mind. She rubbed her face. Thalia heard someone walk in and took a deep breath. Thalia looked up and relaxed as she saw Leo.

"Hey guys. I heard my dad's place got broken into," Leo said. He sat on the table and grabbed a sandwich. His face was covered in grease, and he was wearing his tool belt. It always seemed like Leo's tool belt was full of everything imaginable, but it had never ripped or seemed to weight the scrawny boy down. "What did they take?"

"They took an AI that your father calls Talos. Do you know anything about it?" Annabeth asked. Leo looked at them and nodded. He grabbed some of the leftover fries and started to eat them. Thalia sat back and looked up at Leo.

"You guys know all about how my dad hates making AI because of that little incident about a decade ago, right?" Leo asked. Thalia nodded and tried to think back to what the incident actually was. She had only been about six or seven at the time, and her parents kept her shielded from it. All of their parents refused to talk about it.

Thalia did know that Vulcan created some kind of artificial intelligence. It was suppose to guard City Hall and some of the important items that were inside it. According to their parents, the AI glitched out and mistook a security guard for an intruder and killed the security guard. Thalia had tried to look up the incident a few times, but the newspapers didn't mention it. The news station didn't either, and there was nothing in City Hall's records. It was like the incident never actually happened.

"Well," Leo said, and Thalia was broken from her thoughts. She looked at Leo. "My father has spent a decade trying to make up for what happened. He has been working on a new AI that will help protect the streets. It's still an early prototype, but it works with our roomba. The next step is to put it inside a robot body. He still has the one from a decade ago, but I don't think he is going to use that."

Thalia shook her head. She didn't know why Vulcan wanted to make the AI so badly. It was like he didn't want the heroes to do their jobs. Thalia sighed in annoyance and laid her head back. Annabeth spoke, "The other thief got away with the AI, but it's useless without a body right?"

"Totally useless," Leo said. He leaned back. "I guess you could attach it to a computer, and it will tell you the best way to kill someone. It will also put a virus onto your laptop, if it isn't compatible with your software. That was a safety feature that my dad put in."

The room fell silent for a few moments. Leo was busy devouring the fries. Annabeth stared at Thalia, as if trying to see if she would have a reaction. Percy was leaning against Annabeth and staring at Thalia as well. Piper, the only normal one, was minding her own business and looking at her phone.

Thalia closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. All she wanted was for the day to be over. The weekend was coming, and she wouldn't have to worry about seeing Minerva again or even having to stay at home. She could just go to the arcade all day or anywhere else that would keep her away from people.

Hopefully, no one would try to break the law or commit another crime. Thalia didn't want to have another incident so close to what happened. It would just cause people to question her more than they already were. Thalia heard the sound of something slamming, and her eyes snapped open.

"She is ready!" a voice yelled, and there was the sound of something crashing. Thalia slowly looked at the door that was across the room. The door was thrown open a moment later, and Jupiter stormed out of the room. He walked straight past Thalia and out towards the garage, but Thalia didn't miss the blood that was trickling from his knuckles.

Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia saw someone step out of the meeting room. Minerva met Thalia's eyes but didn't say a word. Another woman, Diana, appeared behind Minerva. All Thalia could do was stare. Was Minerva trying to convince Diana and Jupiter that Thalia wasn't ready? Did she tell the about the dream?

Thalia could feel Minerva's gaze piercing into her, and she quickly stood. Thalia turned and hurried out of the room. She rushed past the garage and made it outside, to where her car was. Thalia didn't know where she was going, but she needed to get away from everyone.

Why couldn't things just calm down? Everything should have been back to normal by now. There was no reason for Minerva to worry about how Thalia was in the field. Her reaction to the thief was just a reaction. There was nothing else to the situation.

Thalia stalked towards her car and got inside. She turned the radio up loud enough for her ears to hurt, and she tore down the street. Her father was taking her side, but it was causing him to argue with one of his oldest friends. It made Thalia sick to her stomach. Why did she have to be involved in this? Why did Minerva have to bother with her personal life?

Thalia drove down the road and stared ahead. It was hard to separate her emotions. She was happy that her father had her back. She was upset that her father and Minerva argued because of it. Thalia hated that Minerva was so worried about her. Hell, her friends were worried about her as well. They didn't need to worry at all. Thalia was just fine, wasn't she?

After a few moments, Thalia pulled her car over to the side of the road. She turned down the radio and rested her head against the steering wheel. Thalia wasn't okay. She wasn't fine with the fact that she chose to have Kronos kill her girlfriend. Just remembering the moment caused anxiety to grow in Thalia's chest, and it also tore the breath from her throat.

Thalia needed to talk to someone, but who would understand? Her friends were worried about her, but they just didn't understand. They said it wasn't her fault. It was though. Thalia needed to find someone who understood. After a moment, Thalia looked up at the mirror and studied her own, broken eyes.

Thalia turned the car around and started to drive. There was one place she could go to. There was someone who understood what Thalia was going through. Thalia took a deep breath and focused on the road ahead.

If everything would just return to normal, Thalia would be fine. She would be able to return to her normal self. There would no longer be this terrible guilt that ran through her chest. She wouldn't spend half of her nights remembering what had happened. Everyone worried about her though, which made her keep remembering everything. She took deep breaths.

Thalia turned up the radio again to try and distract herself. It worked, until she came to her destination and pulled up in front of a house. Thalia took a deep breath and got out of her car. She closed the car door and just stared ahead. Could she really do this?

After taking a deep breath, Thalia closed her eyes. She felt someone's piercing gaze and slowly opened her eyes. Thalia didn't see anyone staring at her, and she didn't see anyone at front the door. It took a moment for Thalia to look around, but she still didn't see anyone. Was she just imagining things?

This was a bad idea. All she needed to do was get in her car and drive away. She should have never came here in the first place. Thalia saw movement and turned her head. She looked at the alley not far from her. Thalia could have sworn that she saw a flash of movement, like someone really was watching her.

Thalia shook her head and tried to focus. She couldn't make excuses for not walking up to the door. She would either do it or leave. After taking another deep breath, Thalia walked towards the front door and knocked. Thalia heard a soft bark from the other side, and after a minute, the door slowly opened.

Hylla opened the door completely and stared at Thalia. It took a few moments for Thalia to sit up and meet Hylla's eyes. Hylla looked absolutely exhausted. There was bags underneath her eyes, and her face was pale. She stared at Thalia.

"Do you blame me for Reyna dying?" Thalia asked. She knew that she should have started by greeting Hylla or asking how she was doing, but Thalia needed to know. She needed to know that she wasn't the only one who hated herself.

Hylla looked away and seemed to think about it. Before, Hylla had always seem so strong and sure of herself. She always had this fire in her eyes, but that was no longer the case. Hylla just looked broken and beaten down. After a few moments, Hylla nodded.

"Everyday," Hylla answered. Thalia looked down and nodded. "Then, I blame myself for getting Reyna involved in being a hero. I then blame my father for forcing us to leave Puerto Rico. It doesn't help that my mother was a monster. In the end Thalia, I blame everyone who was involved. Then, I realize it was Kronos' fault. He is the one who killed my sister, and I want him to suffer for it."

"I do too," Thalia said. Hylla opened the door and motioned for her to come in. After a few moments, Thalia did. Aurum and Argentum were waiting at the door. They didn't jump on Thalia or lick her out of excitement, but their tails did wag, if only slightly. "They want to give him a trial. I hope it's just an excuse to sentence him to death."

"Why not just kill him and be done with it?" Hylla muttered. She walked towards the couch and sat down. Thalia slowly closed the front door and walked towards the couch. She sat down as well. "You didn't come to the funeral."

"I didn't," Thalia confirmed. She didn't elaborate, and Hylla didn't ask. Instead, the two sat back in a comfortable silence. Hylla's gaze was focused straight ahead, and one of her hands was rubbing Aurum's back. Argentum rubbed against Thalia's leg, and she slowly patted the dog.

Thalia didn't know why or how, but she felt a little better. She was glad that she visited Hylla. Part of her had expected Hylla to immediately kick her out or at least throw a punch. It was a relief that Hylla didn't seem to completely hate her.

"I miss her," Thalia whispered. She looked at Hylla. "I'm sorry. I wish I had done something more."

"I wish you had too," Hylla muttered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hylla opened her eyes and stared off into the distance. "I wish it had been your father instead."

"I know," Thalia said. She leaned back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. The comfortable silence settled over the two once again. Thalia didn't blame Hylla for what she said. If their positions were reversed, Thalia would feel the same.

Thalia closed her eyes. Things weren't going to get any easier for her, not for a long time. She could try to make Hylla feel better though, or she could just be there for Hylla. Thalia was sure that she was the only one who knew how Hylla felt. Thalia took a deep breath and felt a chill go down her spine.

Thalia slowly looked around and couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She was just being paranoid though. First, she thought someone was watching her when she first went to the house. Now, she thought someone was watching her now. Thalia shook her head. It was just her mind being tired from the events of the day. All she needed to do was stop worrying and calm down. Hopefully, things would slowly start to return to normal.


	5. Story of the Week

"As of this morning, there is no more news on the break in at the main office for Vulcan Industries. We do know that one suspect has been arrested, but we have not received any information on if anything was stolen. We will keep you updated as we learn more," the reporter said. Her voice was grating, and any happiness that she forced into her voice was as fake as her. The reporter was just another puppet master of the town.

The entire town was full of puppets. All of their strings were being pulled by the Olympians: the so called greatest heroes to ever grace the town. They fought the villainous group known as the Titans for control of the city, and they won. They then used their personal identities to grasp the city in their iron fist. In a few decades, the history books would say the city was brought back from the brink of collapse by the Olympians, but that was only because the Olympians were the victors.

The Olympians controlled the media: the flow of information. They controlled the narrative that the citizens knew. If a story didn't fit their narrative, it was thrown in the garbage. If a villain didn't fit their narrative, they were thrown in jail. If an innocent kid didn't fit the narrative, they were shot in the head and left for dead.

Reyna laid back against the soft couch and turned off the television. She stared at the dark screen and studied her reflection. A year ago, she was living her best life. Reyna had a girlfriend, a purpose as a hero, and a sister that loved her. Now, she had nothing, and it only took a betrayal to shatter her whole world.

A deep breath left Reyna, and she felt a headache forming in her head. She slowly lowered her head and rubbed her forehead. There was a small patch of skin that felt different from the others: the scar that reminded her of the day that she had been betrayed. Reyna lifted her head and slowly sat forward.

"How are the headaches doing?" a man asked. Reyna's eyes moved to look at a man in a doctor's coat. From the morning shadow on his face and his red eyes, it looked like he had just finished his shift at the hospital. The man, Asclepius, sat down and took a sip from his coffee. "Still bothering you?"

"Not as much," Reyna replied. She looked at the doctor who had nursed her back to health. Reyna didn't remember much of those days or that month really. When she had first woken up, she didn't remember anything. Mnemosyne, a Titan with the ability to transfer and look at memories, slowly returned Reyna's memories to her, but there was a still a five month block of time from a random school day to her waking up in the Titan base that was almost blank. There was a few, disconnected memories here and there but nothing solid.

"Do you remember anything more than last time?" Asclepius asked. Reyna shook her head. Asclepius lowered the cup of coffee and rubbed his hands. He placed two fingers to Reyna's temple, and she tensed. His fingers felt cold, just like steel. Reyna closed her eyes tightly and felt a panic and fear in her chest. It became hard to breath, and when she opened her eyes, a gun was pointed against her head.

Reyna lashed out with a fist and scrambled backwards. She covered her head and expected the gun to go off. Instead, she heard the sound of rushed footsteps. A warm hand gently grabbed her arm, and Reyna found herself able to relax. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. There was no gun. She was still in the small living room.

"Are you okay?" Tethys asked. Reyna slowly looked up at one of her mentors. She took a few deep breaths and looked around the room. There was nobody with a gun. She was safe. Asclepius knelt by her and slowly grabbed her shoulder. Reyna shivered under his ice cold grip. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," Reyna said. She tried to wave away the concern and quell the panic in her chest. She could still feel the cold steel of the gun, even if she couldn't remember who pulled the trigger. Reyna had been clinically dead for seven minutes, before Mnemosyne saved her life. "Just having an off day."

Tethys nodded and stood. She walked back towards her post at the table. An unopened briefcase sat on the table. The briefcase was suppose to hold nuclear material in it that would enhance their powers. They just needed to get the briefcase open, but there was a six digit combination standing in their way.

Tethys was the one in charge of working on it, and she was getting to the end, hopefully. She had gone through a majority of the combinations and was now at the point where the combination had to start with an eight or nine. Tethys was clearing reaching her breaking point with the briefcase, but sooner or later, she would have to find the combination. She was running out of numbers that it could be.

Forcing open the briefcase wasn't an option, as the material inside was volatile. Part of Reyna wanted to help, but she had to focus on her own training. After spending a month in a coma, she had to spend another month returning to her former strength. Then, she trained in using her powers and getting as physically fit as she could.

Reyna slowly stood and rubbed her fingers across her scar. The Titans were trying to free Olympian Plains from its oppressors, but most of them had been thrown into a deep, dark prison. Reyna's mother had been taken there as well, when Reyna was young. When their father lost his sanity, they left Puerto Rico and fled to Olympian Plains.

Reyna remembered that her and Hylla lived a happy life. She knew they took up identities as masked heroes to stop criminals. Hylla had the power of super strength, and Reyna didn't know that she had any powers until sometime in that five month period of forgotten memories. Reyna met her friends at high school, and her memory was nothing from there. Mnemosyne and Tethys had to fill in the blanks.

From what Mnemosyne told Reyna, there was a breakout at the prison. Bellona went straight to Reyna and Hylla to make sure they were safe and work with them. Somewhere along the way, Reyna told Thalia that she had powers and went by the name Praetor. Thalia seemed to accept her. Then, she helped the Olympians capture Hylla. Reyna went to negotiate a release with Thalia, and her girlfriend shot her in the head.

Reyna took a deep breath and turned the television back on. She just needed to distract herself from her angry thoughts. Revenge would come sooner rather than later. Reyna heard a third set of footsteps and watched Mnemosyne step into the room. Mnemosyne sat by Reyna and smiled at her. Since both of the Titans were there, it was time for Reyna to talk to them about another thing that was bothering her.

"I want to talk to my sister," Reyna said. She looked Mnemosyne in the eyes. It didn't take long for Mnemosyne to lose her smile, and she stared at Reyna. "I know that we have to be careful, but I just want to talk to her. I want her to know that I am alive."

"Reyna, I know this is tearing you apart, but you must think rationally. The Olympians have a very close watch on Hylla and Kinzie. If you talk to them, the Olympians will know you are alive, and our plans will be ruined," Mnemosyne said. Reyna looked down. "They pose no threat to the Olympians and are safe. You will talk to them, after the next step."

Reyna closed her eyes and nodded. She understood, but she hated that she understood. The Titans had been planning carefully for a second breakout of the prison Tartarus. Reyna would be instrumental in that breakout. She just needed to play her part, and everything would work out. Reyna spoke, "I know. I just miss her."

"We know you do," Tethys said. She awkwardly patted Reyna's arm and then quickly looked back at the briefcase. Reyna glanced at Tethys and then Mnemosyne. The two of them didn't have villain names. The Olympians took their last names and shared them to the entire city. Their mugshots had been shared everywhere. The Titans did not have the luxury of hiding underneath an alter ego and mask like the Olympians did. It was the first twelve lives that the Olympians had ruined, and they would go on to ruin so many more.

"Physically, she is ready for the next step," Asclepius said. He met Reyna's eyes and gave her a small nod. "Mentally, that is something that only she can tell us."

"I'm as good as I'm going to get," Reyna answered. She leaned back and focused on the television. The reporter was standing outside a courthouse. She wasn't saying anything, but there was this vulture like expression on her face. The door behind her opened, and a man stepped out.

Reyna focused on the television. Her mental state was weird. Some days she thought that her memories were fake, even though she knew in her gut that she had experienced them. The other times, she was pissed off at the world and Thalia in particular. All she wanted to do was find Thalia and return the favor, but Reyna would make sure the job actually got done.

The reporter, Venus, practically bolted towards the man's side. Her face twisted into what could have been a smile, but make up completely caked her face. It was a surprise the sun hadn't melted it off and caused it to fall onto her gray dress suit. Venus was one of the Olympians and probably one of the most important ones.

Venus held the city in her hands by using the news. She controlled what people learned about and also influenced how they thought. Both of the city's news stations were ran by her, and while both shows were presented differently, they were both ran carefully and fed out the same propaganda. Venus blocked the man's path and smiled at him.

The man slowly looked at Venus and squinted. He wore a black suit and seemed like he was about to start sweating through it. His eyes almost looked like they were gold, and his face was rather beautiful. Reyna stared at the man and turned up the volume on the television.

"Letus, it is a pleasure to see you back in town," Venus said. She smiled and studied the man in front of her with hungry eyes. "You don't look like you have aged a day."

"You do though," Letus commented. His voice was smooth like silk and rather quiet. His right hand gripped the briefcase at his side, but a small smile came to his face. "How did I earn the pleasure of you personally visiting me?"

"I just wanted to get your thoughts on defending Kronos," Venus said. Letus' eyes narrowed, and he studied Venus. The reporter only smiled brightly at him. "You did hear, didn't you? Letus, you have been chose to represent Kronos in his upcoming trial."

"Many things have changed over the last decade, but my morals have not. I do not defend villains," Letus said. He lost his smile and just studied Venus. The reporter hummed softly and looked at the camera. She seemed to pause for dramatic effect.

"That's weird," Venus said. "You say that you do not defend villains, but you defended Hades a decade ago. You went to trial for a villain that had at least twenty murders chargers against him, not to mention the kidnapping and torture charges. I would read them all off, but we do not have time to recite a novel."

"The courts found my client guilty of only a portion of those crimes," Letus said. "City Hall needed a martyr for all of the crimes that were being committed by other criminals. They needed you and your news crew to distract the public from the fact that one day could not pass without crime. City Hall dragged the trial out, while the Olympians desperately tried to clean up the streets and threw many people into jail, innocent or not. But, we shouldn't bring up the past, as I'm sure that it isn't a slow news day."

Venus looked like she wanted to talk. Instead, she forced a smile and spoke, "City Hall has appointed the best lawyer they could to defend Kronos, and you fit the bill. Do you have any official comments?"

Letus stared down at the microphone that Venus was practically pressing into his mouth. He smiled and somehow leaned even closer into the microphone. He spoke, "Do you know why I came back into town? It has taken a decade, but I have finally found enough evidence to appeal Hades' case. There's your story of the week."

Letus pulled away from microphone and walked down the steps. Venus just stared at where he had been and seemed to shocked to move. Reyna glanced away from the television. She looked at Mnemosyne and Tethys. They were both staring in shock as well. Asclepius' face had even gone pale.

"Who is Hades?" Reyna asked. Her voice seemed to break the others out of their shock. Tethys laid her head back and cursed softly. Mnemosyne looked at Reyna and shook her head.

"You know that there was twelve Olympians who first saved the city, but there is a reason that the twelfth is hardly mentioned," Mnemosyne said. She closed her eyes and shivered. "Hades was death. Seeing him meant you were going to die. By just touching you, he could kill you. It was always in different ways too."

"Some of them were turned into ancient corpses, with all of the life drained out of them," Tethys said. She shivered. "Others had their guts torn out and were hung up with them. They had clearly been tortured before being disemboweled. Others had their heart stopped, like someone had just turned it off. A few more had damage to their organs, like those organs had been crushed, despite the fact that there was no impact damage to the body or anything else that would cause those injuries."

"Hades killed villains," Asclepius said. He closed his eyes. "I think he took pleasure in it. He was a monster, and eventually, the Olympians had to put him away. They made the trial public, as an example for anyone else who would try to do what Hades did. Letus nearly turned the trial on them and got Hades off free, but as we know, the Olympians own the government."

"So, they locked Hades away?" Reyna asked. The two Titans and the doctor nodded. "Where at?"

"Tartarus," Mnemosyne replied. Reyna looked at her confused. That didn't make any sense. If Hades was at Tartarus, why wasn't he part of the breakout. Wouldn't they want to use his powers? Mnemosyne looked at Reyna and seemed to read her mind. Mnemosyne shook her head. "Hades would have killed us all."

"Hades was a prisoner at Tartarus, and he was imprisoned by the people he worked with. How do you know he wouldn't have worked with you?" Reyna asked. No one answered her. Reyna shook her head and looked at the ground.

"Hopefully, this will keep them distracted while we proceed with our next step," Tethys said. Mnemosyne nodded her agreement and looked at Asclepius. The two stood and walked away. Tethys glanced at Reyna. "Don't worry too much kiddo. We're almost there."

"Yeah," Reyna muttered. They were almost there. After another step, she would be able to see her sister. She would be able to tell Hylla that she was alive and ensure that her older sister was safe from the Olympians. Reyna slowly glanced back at the television. Her mind went back to Hades. If the Titans were terrified of him, how dangerous was he, and could he help them with their plans? Was he another ally that they could use? Reyna closed her eyes and took another deep breath. There was only one way for her to find out.


	6. A Visit to Hell

Grief could make people do the strangest of things. It could drag the proudest, happiest person down to the very depths of their soul. It could drive sane people to do maniacal things. Grief could drive someone in a spiral that they wouldn't be able to climb out of. If there was too much grief, the hole would become deeper and deeper till it reached the bottom of the Earth.

Well, that's what one of the therapists kept saying. Nico didn't want to go to a therapist at all, but the Olympians demanded that all of the heroes see a therapist as part of their surprise evaluations. They would only say it was a coincidence that the evaluations happened not long after Reyna was murdered. Since the Olympians were full of such geniuses, they sent everyone to visit the same therapist: Nico's step mother Kore.

The only logical things for Nico to do was murder Kore's favorite plant. He had taken satisfaction in it, honestly. It was nice to take his anger out on something, even if it was a defenseless plant. The Olympians seemed to realize their mistake and got Nico a new therapist the next day. He had only seen that therapist twice and couldn't even remember the man's name. The first visit was to appease the Olympians, and the second was to act normal enough to not have to see the man anymore. It worked a little too well.

No one seemed to notice how Nico felt, and for him, things were only getting worse. The months since Reyna's death had been difficult, and time did not seem to be closing the wound. Everyone was grieving in their own way, but all of them were concerned about Thalia and her grief. Thalia was the one who was there when Reyna died, and she was the one forced to make the choice that killed Reyna. It tore Thalia apart, and she wasn't acting the same.

Thalia wasn't the only one being torn apart by sadness though. Nico and Reyna were best friends. They spent their free time at school together, and Nico was usually at Reyna's place every other week. Before Reyna and Thalia started dating, Nico and Reyna were the outsiders of their friend group. They were friends with everyone in their group, but none of the relationships were as close as they could be. Now, Nico was on the outside once again, but he was alone this time.

One thing that seemed to help Nico with his grief was visiting Hylla every week. The two didn't really talk much. They just sat there. One of them petted Aurum, and the other petted Argentum. It was nice to be able to grieve with someone else and not have to explain why you were still grieving. Nico's fellow heroes had plenty of responsibilities to distract them, but Nico wasn't really contacted to investigate crime scenes. He was more of a background character to fill out the roster of heroes.

His so called friends were scared to take Nico out on missions. They seemed to think he would lose his temper against a criminal and kill them. Nico had done it only once before, and it was by accident. He had still been coming to terms with his powers and didn't know how to fully control them. Now, he was a master of his powers.

Nico could manipulate shadows to hide himself, and when he got mad enough, he could kill someone with just a touch. Well, he thought it was just a touch. Nico didn't remember much from when he had killed that one criminal. He just remembered grabbing onto the neck of the criminal, and a deep anger consumed him. He saw red, and the pulse underneath his fingertips just stopped.

His older sister, Bianca, could hide in the shadows as well, but none of them knew if she could kill a man with a touch. That was probably why she fit in more with the others. His younger sister, Hazel, was able to manipulate minerals and was practicing her shadow abilities. Thanks to Frank, she fit in as well. Nico no longer had anyone to help him fit in or distract him.

The only thing to distract Nico from his grief was his hobbies. but his hobbies only offered him a window right into his grief. His family didn't even see what he was going through. Hazel was far too busy with Frank and her side projects to notice. If she did notice, she would have tried to make Nico feel better. Then, there was Bianca, who had just arrived back in town from one of Diana's sponsored trips. It was suppose to be a place for young teenage girls to find themselves. In reality, Bianca just used it as an excuse to get away from Nico and the responsibility of being an older sister.

It was all Nico's fault though. Between the responsibility of watching Nico after their mother died and Nico's erratic, childish behavior, Bianca needed a break. She found that in Diana, and she was practically glued to the woman's hip. Now that Bianca was back, Nico wanted to keep his distance and not scare her away again.

Nico sighed and laid his head against the window of his limousine. What did it matter if you had enough money to buy the entire world, if no one in the world wanted anything to do with you? Nico's family was the richest in town. His father owned all of the local mines and half of the ones in the entire country. His father also owned the local cemetery and funeral home. All that money didn't make up for the fact that Nico had no family.

His mother died when he was four years old, and no one would tell him how. His step mother claimed it was a result of her being mugged. Some of the Olympians claimed it was an accident. Other Olympians quickly made an excuse to leave and not answer the question. Hazel's mother had died as well, but her mind had been long gone before that. Nico never learned what Hazel's mother forced Hazel to do, but he didn't want to pry.

Their step mother, Kore, kept an eye on them from a distance. She didn't live in the same house as them but did stop by weekly to check on them. Nico still hated her. Kore was a replacement to his mother, but he would never see it that way. Nico had been four or five when he lost his mother, and the only memories he had of her were getting harder and harder to recall everyday. He only had a few pictures of her and held onto them tightly. Then, there was Nico's father.

As the limousine came to a stop, Nico was torn from his thoughts. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Nico looked at the checkpoint in front of him. Two large, serious looking men were talking to the driver and asking to see identification. Nico had already passed his up to the driver. This entire process wasn't new, but the last couple years had seen a few months were the guards slacked on the process. Not anymore though.

The barrier in front of them lifted, and the limousine moved forward. Nico stared up at Tartarus. The maximum security prison had been repaired from its breakout and looked more intimidating than before. Large, smooth walls surrounded the outside of the prison, making only one way in and out. Water surrounded the outside of the walls, and that water was notoriously dangerous.

Visitors to the maximum security prison were unheard of. They had to be approved by the mayor, which meant visits had to be approved by the Olympians. Nico usually visited the prison once a month, but the recent breakout meant he couldn't visit until it was deemed safe. It had taken five months, but Nico was finally allowed to visit again.

There was a bit of irony though. Nico's father helped create the prison. He was the one who made it nearly impossible to escape from, and now, Nico's father would spend the rest of his life there. The limousine came to a stop, and the door opened.

"Thank you, Charon," Nico said. He slowly got out of the limousine and looked at Charon. His gaze was met with a soft smile and impenetrable eyes. It was always had to read Charon's expressions, as his face was always stuck in a stoic smile.

While Nico did not like to use the term butler, it described Charon perfectly. He had been with Nico's family as long as Nico could remember. Charon made their meals for them and took care of the house. Nico always tried to help, but Charon seemed to be finished before Nico could even begin to offer. Nico didn't know if Charon got paid in Italian made suits or an actual salary, but whatever the payment was had secured Charon's loyalty.

"My pleasure, Master Di Angelo," Charon replied. He closed the door and followed Nico towards the entrance of the building, always keeping five feet of distance between them. Nico knew that Charon didn't have any children or even anyone that he was in a relationship with. He was just completely and utterly loyal to Nico's family, but it was like no one cared for him.

Hazel didn't like the thought of her own butler and would go out of her way to provide for herself. Bianca was never around, and whenever she was, she never talked to Charon. It was like he reminded Bianca of their father. Nico tried to be as nice to Charon as he possibly could, as he knew how alone Charon must have felt.

"Charon, can I ask you something?" Nico questioned. Charon looked at him and nodded. Four guards flanked them in their walk towards the front door. Nico looked down. Out of all the people he posed the question to, Charon was never one of them. Maybe, it was because he didn't want to ruin his relationship with Charon that he took so long to craft. The butler had been hard to get close to, but now, Charon actually told Nico about how his day was.

Or maybe, Nico knew that he would get the answer if he asked Charon. Was he that scared to know the truth? Was he scared to know what happened to his mother? Nico took a deep breath and spoke, "How did my mother die?"

Charon feel silent and kept walking. It took him a few moment,but he spoke, "I know the answer, but I believe that is an answer that you should ask your father. He was waiting for you to be old enough to understand."

"Did he kill her?" Nico asked. He stopped walking and stared at Charon. He felt the guards behind him stop, but all he could do was stare at the butler. Charon finally stopped walking and turned around.

"Of course not," Charon said. "It is just a story that he asked for us to not share, until he told you. It is something that a father should tell his son, but your father did not have a hand in it."

Nico nodded and continued to follow his butler. He knew the path so well, even though there was more checkpoints and guards along the way. Nico sighed and stared at the ground. Going to see his father every month was usually the best part of the month, but today, he was just tired of it. Nico wanted a father that was there. He didn't want a father that was stuck in jail.

Everyone knew Nico's father as the villain Hades. Everyone called him a sick bastard who murdered for fun and somehow hired a hotshot lawyer to help him escape the death penalty. There was one problem with all of that though. Nico did not know if his father actually murdered those people. He didn't know if Hades had all or even some of that blood on his hands. No one talked to Nico about his father. Hades was like the leper on the street corner.

Part of Nico thought that was why the Olympians kept an eye on him. His friends were only there to make sure he wouldn't snap and go crazy. That was why Nico's personal life was so closely monitored. When it came time to file taxes, Nico had to show receipts to prove that he wasn't trying to pay anyone to bust his father out of jail. One of the last ones to audit them commented that Nico had an obsession with his favorite card game, and he had snapped that she had an obsession with not minding her own business. Getting in trouble for that was so worth it.

Nico made it towards an iron door. After a few moments, a guard slowly walked towards the door. He brought the key towards a lock on the door but seemed to have trouble inserting it into the keyhole. After taking a few deep breaths, he managed to slip the key into the keyhole and turn it. The guard slowly opened the door.

Nico nodded towards Charon and walked past the guard. He walked into the large room and slowly took in his surroundings. Bookcases lined one of the walls, and Nico knew the books were changed out every few months. A desk on the other side of the room held reports from the businesses that Nico's father ran. Despite being in prison, he was still able to keep an eye on his businesses, even though Kore made most of the decisions.

"Father," Nico said. His eyes moved towards the table in the middle of the room, and he was surprised to see two men sitting there. One of them was Letus. The lawyer was surrounded by paper and seemed to be going over them with the other man. While the entire world knew Nico's father as Hades, Nico knew his father as the kind, loving man named Pluto.

"Nico," Pluto said. He quickly stood. The two guards at the door raised their guns. Pluto froze and slowly raised his gloved hands. His gloves seemed to glow bronze, and Nico couldn't remember a time when he hadn't seen his father with the gloves. "I haven't seen you in months."

"There was a breakout," Nico began. He rushed towards his father's side and hugged him tightly. Pluto slowly hugged him back, being careful to not hit Nico with his handcuffs. "I wanted to visit you, but they wouldn't let me. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Pluto promised. He didn't let go of Nico for a few moments. Nico just enjoyed the touch. He was almost a little sad when Pluto pulled away. Nico slowly looked at Letus. The lawyer watched him quietly. Nico had seen Letus many times, as the lawyer always did his best to protect their estate.

"I can leave you two alone," Letus began. He started to gather his paperwork, but Nico shook his head. He didn't mind Letus being there. Letus was one of the few people who didn't poke and prod Nico about his past. The world knew Pluto as the businessman who died in a tragic accident, leaving his poor wife and kids alone. The world also harassed Nico about when he was going to take over his father's business, as if a fifteen year old should be trusted to make million dollar decisions.

"I don't mind if you stay. What were you two going over?" Nico asked. Pluto smiled and leaned back in his chair. Nico sat by his father.

"We are going to appeal your father's case. I believe I had found evidence that a witness was bribed," Letus said. He looked down at his mound of paper. "We just need a single hole in the case. The Olympians do not have an iron grip on the justice system anymore, and we may be able to get your father's sentence overturned and lessened."

"Even if that doesn't work, we will expose the Olympians for the hypocrites that they are," Pluto said. He looked at Nico. "Letus told me that there was a breakout of Tartarus about six months ago. What happened though? How did they break out?"

"My school had a field trip, and during that trip, Atlas managed to switch himself out with one of the guards," Nico said. Letus and Pluto exchanged looks, and it almost looked like Letus mouthed the word inside. Nico frowned. "He broke out the other Titans, and we tried to stop them."

Nico closed his eyes tightly and continued. "Atlas and another villain named Bellona died, but they killed one of my friends as well. My best friend, Reyna, was actually a villain named Praetor. She worked with us to stop the Titans, but in the end, she was captured with Thalia and Jupiter. Kronos forced Thalia to choose between killing her father or Reyna."

Nico felt tears flood his eyes, and Pluto pulled him into another hug. Nico spoke, "I miss her so much, but no one seems to notice that I am grieving as well. They just focus on Thalia, since she was Reyna's girlfriend. The only one who understands is Reyna's older sister: Hylla. The two of us grieve together. Hylla doesn't deserve to go through this pain."

"Another person dies due to the Titans. We should have handled them when we had the chance," Pluto muttered. Letus nodded his agreement. Nico just hugged his father. He knew that the Olympians had a chance to do what they wanted to the Titans, and their solution was to throw them into jail. "This is my fault."

"It's not," Nico interrupted. He looked up at his father. "This isn't your fault. You've been stuck in jail this entire time."

Pluto remained silent and finally just rubbed Nico's back. Nico closed his eyes. His father didn't need to blame himself. There was nothing Pluto could have done since he was stuck behind bars. Letus spoke, "Kronos murders a child, and they want me to defend him. They want me to defend a murderer. This is all to ruin my reputation and ruin your chance to be free."

"My brothers will do what they want, but in the end, justice will win," Pluto stated. "I do not want to worry about that now. I want to spend time with my son."

"Of course," Letus said. He gathered up the papers but left them at the edge of the table. Letus nodded to them and walked away. Nico looked at his father, and Pluto smiled at him. Nico knew he could not ask about his mother anymore. Not during this visit.

"Tell me about the past few months. I am here for you," Pluto said. Nico nodded and tried to relax. Being able to see his father again lifted some of the weight from his shoulders. He was worried that his father would be mad at him for not visiting, but things were normal between the two. Maybe, Pluto was just happy that one of his children was visiting him. Nico wouldn't worry about it too much. He just wanted to enjoy the time with his father, as things would get crazy with the appeal attempt, and something told Nico that things would not end well.


	7. A Simple Man

Thalia stared up at her ceiling and sighed tiredly. She glanced at her phone and saw that her friends were downstairs. After a few moments of staring at the ceiling, Thalia stood and shivered. She walked towards her window and stared up at the stars. It was a beautiful night, and Thalia leaned out of the window, allowing a light breeze to hit her face.

Moments like these were the ones she enjoyed. She just wished that Reyna was there. Thalia sighed and looked at the ground. She missed her girlfriend with all of her heart. The visit to Hylla had helped, but it also made things worse. Now, Thalia couldn't stop thinking about how she ruined Hylla's life. When she had been avoiding Hylla, it was easy to not think about the consequences of her fatal decision. It consumed her thoughts now.

Thalia took a deep breath and slowly took a step backwards. She closed her window and turned towards her bedroom door. Thalia walked out of her room and down the stairs. Nothing had yet to come of her nearly killing the thief, and any leads on the AI resulted in a dead end. Granted, it had only been two days, but the wait was more than Thalia could handle.

A sigh escaped Thalia as she made it into the living room and saw her group of friends. Jason and Piper were sitting on the couch, but they were a few centimeters away from cuddling. The two seemed to be studying from a notebook, and Thalia knew if the two were alone, there wouldn't be any studying getting done. Thalia nodded towards her little brother and walked towards the couch. She glanced at the laptop that was sitting in the middle of the end table.

"What's that?" Thalia asked. She studied the website that had bright colors and a rainbow logo that seemed to float across the screen. There was a few videos that seemed to be loading a preview, and curiosity caused Thalia to lean in closer and study it. "Iris' news station. What is that?"

"Some underground news station. My mom has been trying to shut it down for the last few months," Piper answered. She pulled away from Jason and moved closer to her laptop. Jason gave Thalia a look, and Thalia returned the look. "Iris has been avoiding being shut down by claiming her right to the First Amendment and threatening to bring the federal government into it."

Thalia nodded and studied the videos that were on the screen. She knew that Venus held a death grip on the news industry and used it to help spread her point of view. Thalia had never seen this Iris woman before on regular television, so it seemed like Iris was only on the internet. She couldn't have been cutting that much into Venus' viewership, so why bother with the woman?

A fourth person sat at the couch, and Bianca nodded towards Thalia. She looked at the laptop as well, and Piper pulled up another window. Thalia frowned as she saw footage of a courtroom. Bianca leaned forward and stared at the video intensely. Thalia felt two more people lean against the couch and glanced up to see Percy and Annabeth. Piper started the video and leaned back.

Thalia frowned as she watched a man step near the camera. He wore a suit and was looking around with his near golden eyes. He looked at the jury of twelve people and then at a man sitting at the witness' bench. The man's features were hidden by a mask, but he wore an orange jumpsuit. Thalia stared at the golden handcuffs around the man's wrist.

"Why are we watching Hades trial?" Thalia asked. She glanced at the other. Annabeth put a finger to her lips, and Bianca seemed to lean in closer to the laptop. When Thalia didn't receive an answer, she focused back on the video.

Hades' lawyer, Letus, was slowly looking at the jury and then at a woman that seemed to be the opposing lawyer. She was staring up at him with careful eyes. Letus looked at the jury and spoke, "When I speak to classes of aspiring lawyers, I tell them an old story. If you all will indulge me, I will tell that story to all of you and prove why my client is being framed."

Letus looked at the jurors. Every single one of them seemed to be on the edge of their seat every time he spoke. The camera barely picked up what Letus said, so Thalia found herself leaning forward as well, even after Piper turned up the volume.

"Long ago, there was a simple farmer. His only job in life was to wake up, take care of his flock, go home, and then repeat the cycle day in and day out. He held no grand destiny. The only thing he had to do was take care of his flock," Letus began. "Until one day, everything changed. A natural event, an earthquake, struck and by fate, luck, or an act of God, this simple shepherd found a cave."

"There was no reason for the man to go into the cave, other than pure curiosity. He went into the cave and found a final resting place of a king. The final resting place was full of many riches, but his next actions were not by fate. His next actions were not by an act of God. It was just luck. Of all the treasures that the man could have taken, he decided on a ring that laid upon the corpse's finger," Letus continued.

"It did not take long for the man to realize that his ring was more than just a piece of jewelry. It allowed the wearer to turn invisible. This simple man was given a godly power, and what did he do with it?" Letus asked. He paused, as if waiting for someone to answer. Letus closed his eyes. "The man decided to take his power and make the world his own."

"The man, who was only suppose to be watching his flock, reported to the king to tell him of the status of that flock. While he was there, he put the ring on. Some accounts will say he seduced the king's wife, but others will say that the man forced the king's wife to lay with him. Either way, the man used his power to break the sacred bond of marriage. Through either fear or seduction, he used the queen to his advantage, and he killed the king. The man with nothing would soon have everything. All it took was a little power to make a man desire the world," Letus finished.

"This is a trial. This is not a history lesson," the other lawyer interrupted. She looked at the judge, who sat back and seemed to be watching everything. "You are going to bore the jury to sleep."

"About ten years ago, twelve people lived simple lives. They only needed to wake up, do their job, take care of the family, and then repeat the cycle day in and day out. They held no grand destiny. Then, there was an accident one day. A nuclear experiment gone wrong gave these twelve people powers, and what did they do with their powers?" Letus asked.

"These twelve people, using their power, terrorized this town, but you will never hear those stories. All of those stories were filed away and burned, to hide the truth. The only way to really know what happened is to speak to the victims that were maimed, tortured, or violated. And, what kind of monster could ask them to relive that horror?" Letus wondered. "I do not speak of the Titans, as their horrors are well documented. Instead, I speak of those that call themselves the Olympians."

"Yes. The Olympians did band together to save this town from the Titans. They did become true heroes, but what happens when you stand atop the mountain and stare down at the rest of the pitiful mortals?" Letus asked. He slowly looked around, as if wanting an answer. "I know that the Olympians see themselves as protectors of this town, and they will do whatever they must to protect it. That is why my client is innocent."

"If someone threatens the great town of Olympian Plains, the Olympians will handle them. That is what they have been doing for years now, whether it be by murder or some other kind of cover up. Those crimes have started to come to light, and I will not stand by as everything is pinned on my client. The Olympians see a martyr in one of their own. They decided to paint their black sheep with red."

"Even when the Olympians have tried to protect this town, it has failed," Letus continued. "The streets are not safe. Crime has risen to an all time high, and I assume it is because the Olympians have allowed their personal lives to distract them. Upon seeing the crime that litters this town, they decided to lock those criminals away or handle them in more violent ways, and those crimes were pinned upon my client."

"The Olympians think that some miscalculation in a lab gave them the right to play God. They think the nuclear accident gave them some sort of destiny. The truth is that the Olympians were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. They were lucky enough to receive their powers and smart enough to use them to manipulate this town," Letus said. He took a deep breath to seemingly calm himself down.

"I have presented evidence over these past few week that should prove that the Olympians are framing Hades for their crimes," Letus said. He took a moment to look at each and every member of the jury. "If you hold any doubt in your hearts, I ask that you do not sentence an innocent man to death," Letus finished. He turned and walked towards Hades. The video paused.

"What was the point of that?" Thalia asked. She looked back towards her friends. Bianca was staring at the laptop. Piper was browsing through the rest of the videos. "Why watch a video from a trial that was ten years ago?"

"We can't find it anywhere else," Percy answered. Thalia looked at him. "The entire trial was taped, but all of the tapes have been destroyed. The only thing that remains are the transcripts, and those are under lock and key at City Hall. Why would our parents destroy all of the videos and hide away the transcripts? Were they hiding something?"

"Hades' crimes are a black spot on all of the good that the Olympians have done. No offense, Bianca. They just don't want that to stain their reputation anymore," Jason said. He shrugged and leaned back. Thalia studied her younger brother. He was great at taking orders and leading the other heroes when they were with him. He just didn't seem to question their parents too much.

"How did this Iris get the videos anyway?" Annabeth questioned. She sat by Thalia and nodded towards her. Before anyone could start throwing out theories, all of their watches started to beep. Thalia looked down at her watch and then up at her friends.

"Does anyone have their gear on them?" Percy asked. Thalia clicked in on her watch and stood. To her surprise, Piper did as well. As Thalia turned towards her room to grab her spare uniform, she felt her phone ring. After a moment, Thalia looked at her phone and answered it.

"Father," Thalia greeted. She glanced at her friends in confusion. It was odd for their parents to call them when their was an alert for a crime, unless it was something dangerous. Thalia didn't get that vibe from this phone call though. "What's going on?"

"We've been discussing what happened Thalia. For the next two weeks, you are off of missions," Jupiter said. Thalia stared ahead. She felt anger start to boil in her chest, along with confusion and betrayal. Why was her father pulling her off of a mission. She had one incident, and that meant she was untrustworthy? "Nico will be replacing you."

"This is bullshit. You can't do this," Thalia snapped. The only thing she wanted to do was argue and tell her father that she was perfectly fine to do missions, but he wouldn't listen to her. Thalia closed her phone and threw it at the wall. She watched it shatter on impact and took deep breaths. It took her a few moments to realize that her friends were still in the room, and no one was saying a word. Thalia didn't even look at them. She just ran up to her room.

How dare her parents pull her off of missions? Did Minerva break her promise and tell them about Thalia's dream? Did she really stab Thalia in the back like that? An angry sigh escaped Thalia, and she walked towards her bed.

"Absolute bullshit," Thalia snapped. She threw herself onto her bed and closed her eyes. Angry tears escaped her. It was so unfair that she was being singled out. She didn't actually kill the criminal, and even if she had, he was going to kill Annabeth.

Thalia felt a cool breeze hit her face. She opened one eye and looked towards her window. Thalia stood and walked towards the open window. She leaned out of it and allowed the breeze to hit her face and dry her tears. A deep sigh escaped Thalia, and she finally closed the window.

The only thing Thalia wanted to do was fall asleep and not wake up until the two weeks were over. She threw herself back onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Being off of missions meant she couldn't respond to calls, which meant she would be left out of the fun. The Olympians would keep her from learning more about the AI, as she would try to help them with it. For the next two weeks, Thalia might as well not have any powers. After taking a few deep breaths, Thalia pressed her face against the pillow and just wished that she could fall asleep and wake up to when everything was normal.


	8. Dead Men Do Tell Tales

There was an old saying among the dregs of ancient, seafaring society: dead men tell no tales. Dead men could not expose secrets that would rupture the very fabric of their ship's society. They could not destroy the veiled world of the living. Whether it was because of her affinity for pirate documentaries as a kid or the fact that she watched a ton of crimes show, Hecate had learned that the saying was a lie; dead men did tell tales, if someone knew how to listen to them. Hecate was one of those people.

Hecate could read in between the lines of death. She could identify when someone was poisoned, when all of the medical experts thought it was a heart attack. Most of the tricks that criminals tried to use to hide their crimes were not veiled from Hecate. That is what made Hecate so valuable to the Olympians. They always went to her to reveal the truth behind any deaths that they had suspicions about.

Hecate had been helping the Olympians for about fifteen years now. For years, they kept trying to invite her out to social gathering, but that was a little too much for Hecate. She didn't need to be in a large room surrounded by strangers. The Olympians already knew her too much, and she didn't want to actually be friends with them. Seeing them more than once a month was just way too much.

"Male. Eighteen years old. Physically fit. A solid football player and on his way to college. No health problems. No detected mental problems. Yet, he just dropped dead," Hecate said. She stared down at the boy's pale body. He had been dead for two days now, and the Olympians just now found the time to examine him. Hecate wasn't sure why they cared though.

Minerva and Jupiter stood side by side, as they did so many times before. This time was different though. There was a hostile silence between them. Jupiter kept giving Minerva side glances, and Minerva kept staring ahead. It felt like one wrong movement or one wrong word would cause the tension in the room to explode.

Hecate stared down at the body. It was telling her a lot of things, but she had already learned the biggest secret when the body was first brought to her. Hecate passed her examination result towards the two Olympians and was careful to keep her mind full of thoughts about dissecting bodies. She knew that it bothered Minerva, which made it even more fun.

"He matches the description of the second thief from the break in at Vulcan's office. Do you think it is the second thief?" Jupiter asked. Why would a business man like him care about the common folk? He had enough power to take this city in the palm of his hands, but he shared that power with his friends. It was a thin, delicate balance that could not last for much longer.

"I do," Minerva stated. She unfolded a small picture and seemed to compare the face of the man in the picture to the dead man on the table, and since she nodded, it seemed as if the dead man had told her part of the tale. Could Minerva read the thoughts of the dead, like she could the living? What would dead men even think?

"Found him in an alley," a gruff voice interrupted. Hecate glanced up and watched the chief of the police walk into the room. She looked down at the body and tried to find comfort in him. He wasn't bothered by these three people. He had found his own peace. "There was a fired gun in his hands, and a bullet lodged in the wall in front of him. It looks like a mugging go wrong, only if you forget about the fact that his heart just stopped."

"What does the body tell you?" Minerva asked. Her gaze focused on Hecate, as if she knew that the coroner could tell many things from the body. A small smile came to Hecate's face, and she slowly circled around the body. "They stole a valuable AI. Why would they try to rob someone?"

"They're greedy. Open and shut case," Mars commented. Minerva glared at him. "What? They couldn't find a seller, so they decided to mug someone. It's as simple as that. I don't know why you're freaking out."

"If the two managed to sell the AI, they would have been set for life. It makes no sense that they would do anything to jeopardize that," Minerva stated. Hecate took a deep breath. The two of them always argued. Minerva always tried to pitch the idea that she was level headed, but Hecate had seen the two argue enough times to know that it wasn't true.

"We've seen this before," Jupiter interrupted. His fellow Olympians stopped arguing and looked at him. "But, the man responsible for this in the past is now in bars. Hecate, can you cut open the chest and tell us what the heart looks like? Was it dried and blackened?"

"The heart looked normal," Hecate replied. She walked towards a small folder that was next to the body. Her gaze examined the large stitches that covered the body's chest. Did Jupiter not see that pretty fresh wound, or was he just ignoring it because it meant that he wouldn't get what he wanted?

"Cut open the body," Jupiter insisted. Hecate shook her head. She didn't need to be told how to do her job. Jupiter should have known that by now, but he never really paid attention to her. She was just another way for him to control the city and get information.

"I already removed the organs and donated them," Hecate said. She opened the folder and passed out the pictures of the organs. Mars glanced at the pictures but almost seemed to pale. Minerva and Jupiter studied the pictures. "They needed a heart for an emergency surgery, and the boy was a match. He was an organ donor, so I harvested those and sent them off to the lab."

Jupiter examined the picture of the heart for a very long time. Hecate glanced at the picture. The heart looked like a heart. Well, it looked like the kind of heart that belonged to a dead eighteen year old male, not that Jupiter would be able to tell the difference anyway.

"I sent out a request for a toxicology screen," Hecate stated. "This could have happened because of drugs. It could have also been a freak incident. We do live in a town that has people with powers."

"Freak incidents don't stop hearts," Mars commented. He glared at Hecate. The two never got along. For every crime scene that there was, Mars instantly came up with a theory. Half of his theories were correct, and those usually involved a crime scene that a two year old could solve. The other theories were so off the wall that there was no way they could be true. "You know more than you're saying."

"That's enough," Minerva interrupted. She glared at Mars. "Why would the coroner hide anything about the crime?"

"She wants to ruin my perfect record for solving crimes this year," Mars said. Hecate barely resisted the urge to roll her eye. She was the one who helped Mars solve the cases that involved murders or poisonings. Without her, he would just be a big man with a bigger temper and a smaller solve rate.

Before Mars could continue to rant, they heard a phone ring. Jupiter slowly grabbed his phone and frowned. He answered the phone and listened to the person on the other end silently. Mars studied the pictures and glared. Minerva simply studied Hecate. It took a couple of years, but Hecate learned how to blank out her thoughts around Minerva. It was easy to think of nothing when she knew that most of her thoughts would get her in trouble.

Jupiter hung up his phone and took a deep, angry breath. He spoke, "We must go, Hecate. Thank you for the time. Send a copy of your report to me. Mars and Minerva, we need to head to city hall. Someone broke into their last night."

"There's no way that anyone broke in city hall," Mars argued. "The alarms would have gone off, and my officers would have been there in a heartbeat. There is no way that anyone could have gotten past the alarms."

"According to security cameras, someone did walk just in. We have to go and watch the video ourselves to see how," Jupiter stated. He walked towards the door. After a moment, he looked back at them. "Thalia's badge was swiped."

"Thalia was at Frederick's house with Annabeth," Minerva stated. A frown came to her face. "The two should not have gone anywhere. Unless Thalia stopped by city hall on her way home, but why would she do that. What time did she come back home?"

Jupiter shrugged and left the room. Minerva sighed and gave Mars a look. Mars returned the look, and the two finally exited the room. Hecate let out a relieved breath. She hated when people were breathing near her. That was one of the reasons why she preferred the dead.

Hecate pushed the shelf that held the body back into the wall. She locked the door and then slowly pulled off her gloves. After closing the door to the room and locking it, she pulled out her cell phone. Hecate sat down and dialed a number into her phone. She hadn't used it in years, but she remembered it by heart.

"Hello?" a voice asked, after two and half rings. Hecate smiled and looked down the pictures of the organs. Those organs weren't from the boy. In fact, they weren't even from that year. She had taken those pictures about five years ago, when she was helping the Olympians change the narrative of a crime. It was a surprise they did not recognize them.

"You owe me," Hecate said. She carefully placed the pictures back into the file and closed it. She placed it at her desk and looked at her computer. After signing into her computer, she studied the picture of the blackened and dried heart that she had taken from the dead boy's chest.

"If we are keeping track, I believe that you still owe me a few," Letus stated. Hecate smirked and deleted the picture from her computer. The official report would say that it was a heart attack brought on by drug abuse. The community would mourn that football player that couldn't handle the stress that his parents put upon him.

"Why did you do it?" Hecate asked. She leaned back in her chair. Letus and her had known each other since they were kids. It wasn't like Letus to murder anyone in cold blood.

"I was accused of allowing his sick little sister to die," Letus answered. Hecate nodded to herself. She knew that Letus had a strong set of morals and only took a case if he thought the person he was defending was in the moral right. Not many people could see the world the way they did.

"So, his sister died, and you successfully defended the person who was deemed guilty for it," Hecate stated. "Why do they always blame the lawyer?"

"He said that I didn't agree to give his little sister a life saving treatment," Letus stated. Hecate frowned and looked back towards the file that held everything the Olympians would see about the boy's murder. "I am no doctor, but he acted like I was."

"Sounds like he was confused. It explains why he wanted to steal that AI. It could have paid for his little sister's treatment," Hecate said. "Why would he accuse a lawyer of refusing the treatment? Did he think the hospital consulted you?"

"He called me a Doctor Lewis," Letus stated. Hecate hummed to herself and typed into her computer. She saw a picture of this Doctor Lewis pop up, and unless Letus had become Irish and two feet shorter, they weren't the same person. "It seemed like he was remembering me as someone else, like his memory was altered."

Hecate's fingers froze on the keyboard. She took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. Hecate spoke, "I see. I'll keep the Olympians off of your trail."

"I know," Letus stated. Hecate brought her finger to the end call button. "Do you feel it in the air, Hecate?"

"Like everything is changing for the worst?" Hecate asked. Letus made a noise of confirmation. "I do. You visited Pluto, didn't you? How is he?"

"The same," Letus answered. "The Titans broke out of Tartarus, but they did not break Pluto out as well. Two of their numbers were not taken back to the prison. Mnemosyne has disappeared off of the face of the earth, until now. They think that Tethys is dead. Were you ever given the body?"

"It was never retrieved," Hecate stated. "Just like the body of Praetor. They never found them in the water, even after Neptune looked. You know how those waters are though."

"I also know how the Titans are. From what I have seen and been told, their plan did not make any sense. Do you know anything else about it?" Letus questioned.

"They broke out and took city hall. It backfired, and Kronos panicked. He killed a kid and kicked the body off of the bridge," Hecate answered. As she spoke, she typed into her laptop and pulled up one of the few articles about it. The video of the broadcast had been taken off of the internet and was only available on Iris' website. That woman was going to be a thorn in the Olympian's side. "It does not sound like the Titans that we knew."

"Pluto thinks the same. He thinks there is more to the story and wants to investigate more if I am successful with his appeal," Letus said. He sighed tiredly, as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. To some people, he did. "I will keep you informed."

"I'll keep an eye out for more opportunities to pay you back," Hecate said. She hung up her phone and scrolled through the website. Upon finding the video, she watched as the poor girl was shot right in the skull by Kronos. It was clean, smooth, and in an execution style. Then, the Titan kicked the body of Praetor off of the edge.

The part that intrigued Hecate was when Kronos had whispered in Tethys' ear. What had he been saying? Tethys seemed confused by the words, but she had still taken a bullet for her leader. To pay his companion back, Kronos shoved her off of a bridge and seemingly to her death. As far as Hecate knew, Tethys didn't have any powers, but what if she did? The Titans were all about using trickery to disguise their plans

Tethys' husband could control water. What if his wife could as well? And, Kronos had the upper hand on that bridge. Even if he was surrounded by cops, he still had Jupiter and Thalia Grace in the palm of his hand. Why did he surrender? None of it made sense to Hecate, and she didn't know why the Olympians had dropped the case so quickly. Were they trying to ignore their failures and move on? Did they actually know more than they were letting on and keeping it hidden?

Hecate played through the videos a few more times, but it wasn't speaking to her. She had watched her fair share of murders caught on a security camera, and the corpse always spoke to her. This video was the exception though. Hecate narrowed her eyes and slowly stood. Dead men always told her their tales, but what if they weren't actually dead?

If Hecate told anyone, they would call her crazy, but Hecate knew all about trickery. She knew how the Titans liked to play their games and to use all kinds of tricks and mindgames. Hecate watched the video one last time. Everything was so clean and so precise. Hecate grabbed her phone and dialed another number. She lifted her phone to her mouth and spoke, "I think it's time we got the gang back together. Something big is about to go down, and the Titans are in the middle of it."


	9. Only One Knew

Having a house open to all of her friends was nice. It meant that Thalia was almost never alone and could always find someone to talk to. It made the house feel less lonely, and it also made it easier to avoid her stepmother. There was also a few downsides to an open house, mainly when her father was feeling generous and offering to watch Kore's step kids.

Thalia liked all of Kore's step kids well enough. Bianca, of course, was quickly becoming a good friend. She was also nice and willing to hang out with them. Hazel had been integrated into their group so much that Thalia forgot there was a time when they weren't friends. Nico was, well, Nico. He usually kept to himself and would find a dark corner to sit in.

This was not a usual time though. Thalia was sitting at the kitchen table and had her fork halfway to her mouth. She couldn't complete the action, as she was completely fixated on the argument in front of her. She knew that Bianca and Nico had been arguing a lot recently. She just didn't realize how bad it was though.

"Nico, let's just stop," Bianca said. Her fists were clenched tightly, and she was glaring at Nico. Her younger brother was glaring back. Thalia really wished that Nico had stayed at home, but Jupiter insisted that everyone come over.

Kore was apparently going on a small vacation and didn't want to leave her kids alone without anyone to watch them. Their butler, Charon, had also been given the week off, or he was escorting Kore on his vacation. Thalia wasn't really sure, and that was a whole scenario she didn't want to get into.

"You always want to stop. You're suppose to be someone that I can come to with my problems, but you never listen to me," Nico snapped. He looked down and shook his head. "You know that I am telling the truth."

"Nico, you are wrong," Bianca said quietly. There was this scary anger about Nico and Bianca. Nico's was usually louder and could be seen with his actions. Bianca's anger was more reserved, but you could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. Their anger scared Thalia, as she had already seen what Nico could do if his anger became too much.

"I am not wrong!" Nico yelled. He slammed his hand into the wall. "There is only one reason that you are spending all of this time with Diana. You are trying to replace our mother!"

Nico turned and stormed out of the room. Bianca watched him leave, but she didn't move. Her jaw quivered, but otherwise, she kept herself composed. Bianca turned the opposite way and left the room. Thalia lowered her fork and glanced over at Hazel.

"Well, this is awkward," Percy commented. He rubbed the back of his neck and ignored the look Annabeth gave him. "Should I try to talk to Nico?"

"I'll talk to Bianca," Piper said. She stood and left the room. Percy grabbed his sandwich and hurried the way that Nico went. Thalia awkwardly looked down at her food. She heard a door slam open, and she looked up. Her father walked into the room, and Thalia barely resisted the urge to glare.

It was unfair that her father had pulled her from missions. She focused on her food to keep any terrible thoughts from crossing her mind. A shadow passed over the table, and she slowly looked up. Jupiter looked down at her and spoke, "Why were you at city hall last night?"

"I wasn't," Thalia replied. She crossed her arms and looked at Annabeth. "Piper and Annabeth were working on a project with me. We stayed up until midnight, and I was the first one asleep."

"Go get your ID," Jupiter ordered. Thalia frowned and stood. She slowly walked towards her room. The ID card was something that all of the heroes had, and it would allow them to pass through the more secure areas of city hall. The cards had been deactivated a month or two before the Titans attacked city hall, as the Olympians thought they finally didn't need them. Now, the ID cards were needed to get inside and to get to anywhere important.

Thalia made it towards her room and walked towards her dresser. She always kept it there, as putting it anywhere else would cause her to lose it. Thalia made it towards her dresser and stared at the empty place where her ID card should have been.

Thalia frowned. All of her friends had an ID card, and none of them would take hers. That was one of their biggest rules. She know that she didn't misplace her card. It had been on her dresser since she had been suspended from missions, and since she didn't have a use for it, she didn't move it. Where the hell was it then?

After a few moments, Thalia braced herself and walked downstairs. She slowly made her way towards her father and spoke, "I can't find it."

"What do you mean you can't find it?" Jupiter asked. Thalia remained silent and didn't answer. "Who else knew about where you ID was."

"Just my friends. They wouldn't take it though," Thalia replied. The only one who would even think about doing something like that was Leo, and he wasn't stupid enough to try it. "No one outside of the heroes even knows that I have one."

Thalia thought over her last words and frowned. A memory came back to her mind, and she slowly looked at the wall. Maybe, there was someone who knew about her ID card, but it was impossible though. Thalia closed her eyes as she thought about the memory.

_"We really should be getting ready to go," Reyna said. She looked up at Thalia and smiled slightly. Thalia smiled down at her girlfriend once again. She could still taste the hot chocolate on Reyna's lips. "We need to get to Annabeth's place and finish our project. I'd rather get it done tonight, so we have the rest of the weekend free."_

_"You're always so focused on school work," Thalia complained. She kissed Reyna again but forced herself to pull away. "As soon as we are done with this project, you are all mine. I haven't seen you all week."_

_Reyna laughed and gently tried to push Thalia off of her. Thalia didn't let her move and received a look. After a few moments, she huffed dramatically and stood from the bed. Thalia walked towards her backpack. It had been hastily thrown aside when they first walked into the room, as Thalia had a lot more important things on her mind._

_Thalia's phone rang, and a sigh escaped her. Annabeth already knew by now to expect Thalia to be a few minutes late, so she shouldn't be the one calling. That probably meant that some criminal wanted to make a dumb decision and ruin her day. There was no way she was going to answer the call though._

_Thalia walked towards her desk and grabbed her phone. She was relieved to see it was only a text. Thalia looked at the text from Annabeth and spoke, "How are we already thirty minutes late?"_

_"I've been trying to tell you that, but you wouldn't stop trying to shove your tongue down my throat," Reyna teased. Thalia felt her cheeks grow red, but she also saw the devious look on Reyna's face. "I guess it's best that you get it out of your system now. We don't want to traumatize Annabeth too much."_

_Thalia rolled her eyes and texted Annabeth back. Out of the corner of her eye, she studied Reyna. They hadn't been dating for long now, but at the same time, she felt like she had something great going with Reyna. It almost felt like her last boyfriend, but the big difference this time was that all of her friends approved of Reyna._

_They had yet to take their relationship to the next step, but Thalia was ready to. She just wasn't sure if Reyna was, but that would be what the weekend was for. All Thalia needed was for her phone to stay silent and for all of the criminals in the area to just follow the law for one single day._

_"Ready to go?" Thalia asked. She grabbed her wallet and then her backpack. Thalia double checked her pockets and then looked at Reyna. "Keys?"_

_Reyna gave her a look and walked towards Thalia's dresser. She grabbed the keys that had been hastily thrown there. As Reyna grabbed the keys, a curious look came to her face. Reyna spoke, "How did you get an ID to city hall?"_

_Thalia froze and tried to think of an excuse. The truth was that all the heroes had an ID to be able to get into city hall, but Reyna didn't know about her secret identity. That would be a bridge that they crossed later. Thalia spoke, "My dad has a lot of business at city hall, and he used to drag me there a lot. I got an ID for that reason."_

_"I heard these things are really hard to get," Reyna commented. She tossed the keys towards Thalia. "It's like they are hiding stuff behind the locked door of city hall."_

_"It's just a lot of tax stuff," Thalia said with a shrug. Reyna nodded and followed Thalia out of the room. If she was suspicious at all or didn't believe Thalia's story, she didn't show it. Then again, Reyna was lucky enough to be a normal teenager. She didn't have powers, and that was a good thing. Thalia just hoped she never dragged Reyna into her world._

Thalia snapped out of her memory and took a shaky breath. That memory had happened months before Reyna's death. One person outside of the heroes had seen Thalia's ID card, but Thalia knew that Reyna would not have told anyone. Reyna wouldn't even have a use for it.

"Last night, someone broke into city hall using your ID card," Jupiter said. Thalia slowly looked at her father and thought about voicing the memory. It was silly thought though. Reyna was dead. Thalia watched her die. There had to be another answer.

"Reyna saw my ID card before, and Mnemosyne went through her memories," Thalia realized. She looked up at her father. Thalia knew that the Olympians just wanted Mnemosyne to leave Olympians Plains and her life as a villain behind. It didn't seem like the Titan was going to do that though. "What would Mnemosyne want in city hall?"

"There is only one item that she would want, but it is hidden in a vault. Our record keeper said it wasn't taken during the assault by the Titans. Mnemosyne must know that the item in the vault is something that can enhance her powers," Jupiter stated.

Thalia frowned. She knew that there was a few pieces of material left over from the original nuclear accident, and she knew that her father had used some to enhance his power. Neptune and Pluto had done the same. The remaining piece was locked in a briefcase and into a vault, and even further security measures where taken when Pluto was sent to Tartarus.

Thalia wanted to ask her father if he had checked the vault to make sure that the material was still there, but she knew it would only get her into more trouble. Her father trusted the record keeper, an old, decrepit woman named Gaea to make sure that everything was in order.

Without saying another word, Jupiter left. Thalia slowly sat back at the table. Her ID card had somehow been stolen right from underneath her nose, and now, an item of immeasurable power was in the hands of a Titan. The camera would capture Mnemosyne breaking into the vault though, and it wasn't like she could open the briefcase anyway. Thalia closed her eyes and tried to calm down. She knew things would work out, but she also had a sick feeling in her gut, like things were going to go very wrong very quickly.


	10. Event Horizon

Life was ironic sometimes, at least for Thalia. For almost killing the thief, she had been taking off of missions. As soon as her father learned that her ID card had been stolen, she was now allowed to go to city hall and investigate it with the Olympians. Although, it was probably just an excuse for everyone to keep an eye on her. If there was one thing Thalia didn't need, it was a babysitter.

Thalia sighed and glanced at the corner of the room. Minerva and Jupiter were huddled in the corner of the room and looking down at a laptop. They had managed to find a small apartment that belonged to the dead thief. Mars went to investigate but didn't find the AI. He did find a notebook full of addresses. Everyone, except for Thalia, was given addresses to investigate.

Everyone also had an earpiece to keep up communication and let the Olympians know if they found anything. So far, it had been a lot of disappointment. Thalia looked away from her father and looked at the various monitors in front of her. One of the city hall workers was pulling up the footage from when Thalia's ID card was swiped.

Thalia watched the monitors fill with the view of one camera. She leaned back and stared at the scene in front of her. It was one of the outside cameras, near the front door. The image was grainy, but she could see a hooded figure. They walked towards the front door and swiped a badge.

The monitors switched to follow the figure throughout city hall. They were using a flashlight but also walked like they knew the area. Thalia frowned. She thought that the stealing of the AI was an inside job, but she was wrong. It was Mnemosyne going through the memories of one of Vulcan's workers. It seemed like she also went through the memories of someone who worked through city hall. How else would she know where to go?

"It's not her," Minerva stated. Thalia turned her head and frowned. Minerva was studying the video. "They are shorter than Mnemosyne and too muscular. Did she hire another thief?"

"If she did, there will be a trail," Jupiter stated. He joined their side. "Our injured thief states that he talk to a woman, and they were suppose to exchange the AI for money. I doubt they were able to make the exchange, or Mnemosyne tricked them."

"The other was killed in a mugging," Minerva said. Thalia looked back at the cameras and watched the hooded figure walk towards Chiron's desk. They pulled out a small item, like a flash drive, and put it in the computer. The figure looked right up at the camera, and if it wasn't for the fact that their face was completely covered, Thalia would have sworn they were smiling. Their eyes were impossible to see, as they wore sunglasses.

The hooded figure looked back down at the laptop and seemed to type into it. After a minute, Jupiter practically jabbed his finger into one of the screens and spoke, "Pause it."

The video paused, and Thalia leaned in closer. She could see that the hooded figure had their head titled just enough for the computer screen to reflect off of their sunglasses. Minerva spoke, "Can you zoom in on that?"

"I can try," the city hall worker said. Thalia almost let out a relieved sigh. They were finally catching some kind of break, even if it was just learning what the person had broken into city hall for. What was Mnemosyne's plan? She had gone through hoops just to get to this point, so what was the end goal for the Titan?

"They copied all of the files that were on the mayor's laptop," the worker stated. "They only opened one file but did not delete anything off of the computer. Everything that was on the computer can now be accessed by them."

"What's on the computer?" Thalia asked. No one answered, but the reactions of the Olympians told the story. Minerva closed her eyes and seemed to mutter a prayer. A scowl came to Jupiter's face, and he forced his knuckles into the wooden table. "That bad?"

The city hall worker nodded to himself and pressed a button. He quickly stood and hurried towards a printer. The worker grabbed the picture that he had printed out and handed it to Jupiter. If the worker was intimidated by three masked heroes ordering him around, he didn't show it. Granted, most of the workers were used to seeing the heroes appear there every other day. How would they react knowing who was actually under the mask?

"It says vault," Jupiter said. Minerva quickly looked at him and grabbed the paper. She studied the paper and swore. Thalia jumped in surprise. She had never heard Minerva swear before, and it almost seemed like the woman was just allergic to foul language. "How could she know?"

"Vault," Thalia repeated. It wasn't a question though. She knew that they Olympians had a secure vault just right outside of Olympian Plains. It held weapons, gear, and equipment from all of the villains that the Olympians had locked away. They kept the items so Vulcan could research them, and it had been under constant guard.

Finding the vault was hard enough. It was hidden beneath an old warehouse, and there was only one elevator that led down towards it. One would need the ID card of an Olympian just to use the elevator, and after that, guards would be keeping an eye on the elevator and vault. The final step was for three Olympians to use their fingerprints to get inside the main vault. There had been zero attempts to break in, and there was no way Mnemosyne would have a successful attempt.

"Get the others on this. Now," Jupiter ordered. Minerva frowned, but after a moment, she turned away. Thalia wanted to ask who the others were. Her friends wouldn't have a way to get inside the vault, but they could be kept on guard duty outside. Was Jupiter just talking about the Olympians? Minerva walked towards her laptop and grabbed her phone. Apparently, it took a mind reader to know what Jupiter was talking about.

"All of the Olympians head towards our vault. We believe that Mnemosyne will be heading there soon. The rest of you stay on your path and report back to me as soon as you hear something," Minerva said into her phone. She hung up, and Thalia felt her phone vibrate. She grabbed her phone and deleted the message that Minerva had sent to all of them. Her attention turned back to the video.

Thalia glanced at the city hall worker, who seemed more interested in looking at social media than the video. She pressed play and heard him protest, but she ignored it. Thalia watched the hooded figure look back down at the computer. For the next few minutes, they stood there and stared down at the screen. They didn't press anything or do anything else.

Were they reading about the vault? If so, why were they copying all of the files? Thalia watched the figure finally pull the flash drive from the laptop and look up. For a few moments, they looked directly at the camera. Then, they turned and left the room.

"Follow them," Thalia ordered. The city hall worker gave her a look but did. Thalia watched the hooded figure leave city hall using the exact path they had used to enter. When they made it outside, they just walked down the street. "Maybe a business owner saw them leave."

"Police already asked. No one saw anything," the city hall worker said. Thalia nodded and leaned back in her chair. She heard a phone ring and looked back towards Minerva and Jupiter. After a moment, Minerva grabbed her phone and spoke, "What is it?"

Thalia stood and walked towards Minerva's side. She tried to focus on the voice on the other end of the phone. It sounded like Annabeth, but she couldn't quite make out the words. Minerva listened silently. Then, she spoke, "Stay where you are. I'm coming."

"No," Jupiter interrupted. He was right next to Minerva's side and had his ear pressed against the phone. "I need you to help with the vault. I will look at Chiron's computer, and you stay here. They should have their cameras. Keep an eye on them that way."

"They should not investigate on their own," Minerva began. Jupiter gave her a look, and they seemed to have a silent argument, or just a mental one. Minerva finally shook her head and gripped her phone. "Make sure your camera is turned on and head in. Be very careful."

Minerva hung up her phone and gave Jupiter a look. Jupiter returned the look. Thalia slowly pushed her chair towards the laptop and glanced back at her father. She wanted to ask who was investigating, but since the two were still glaring at each other, she decided to just go through and click on each of the heroes' cameras until she found one that was active. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to find Annabeth's.

Thalia heard movement next to her, and Minerva sat by her. Minerva put on headphones and connected them to the laptop, which meant Thalia was cut out from any audio. A scowl came to Thalia's face. She was forced to sit there and watch what was happening.

Annabeth's camera gave her a perfect view of Nico and Bianca. The two were standing a couple of feet apart and had their arms crossed. Thalia knew the two were still having their argument, and it was really awkward. Neither of them were wearing masks, and Annabeth wouldn't be either. There was no need to draw attention by wearing their uniforms while investigating the addresses. One member of the groups had a camera on them, to be able to record anything that they needed.

Thalia looked away from the laptop and down at her phone. She mindlessly scrolled through the website that she had been on for the past few days. Ever since she watched the trial of Pluto on Iris' website, she had been trying to find what else the website had on it. The biggest question was what didn't the website have on it.

Thalia found archives of newspapers all the way back to the founding of the city. Anything that had been made public before was on the website, even if it couldn't be found anywhere else. There was a few articles that the Olympians had removed from the internet and newspapers, like ones that speculated on their secret identities, but Iris' website had all of them. How?

From what Thalia had heard, Venus was making every attempt she could to shut down the website. Every single attempt had been shut down, and if rumors were correct, Iris was threatening to get the federal government involved. Venus tried going to her husband Mars, and when he couldn't do anything, the two had a huge argument. They argued every month though. It was always about the stupidest things too. Sometimes, Mars didn't watch Venus' show. Other times, Venus didn't compliment Mars enough. Thalia found the entire thing beyond dumb, and she felt bad that Piper had to stay in the same house as all of the arguing.

"Venus will freak out if she sees you on there," Minerva commented. Thalia glanced up. Minerva was looking down at her phone. There was no judgment on her face. "She has been complaining that Iris is stealing all of her viewers. I told her that if she decided to use facts for once, her views would rise."

"I don't think Venus knows how to use facts," Thalia muttered. "She likes to sensationalize everything."

"Venus thinks it keeps everyone from focusing on their own problems," Minerva stated. "If I had the patience, I would have made my own news show. It would be just like Iris'. No emotions. Just facts."

"Why does Iris have things on her website that I can't find anywhere else?" Thalia asked. She looked up at Minerva. "I found Pluto's trial on there. I found articles about police brutality that Mars was accused of. Venus has multiple scandals that have been hidden away."

"The Olympians are not perfect, no matter how much we want to be," Minerva stated. She looked down at her laptop. "We tried to hide our flaws, but we also do things to protect our home. When you grow older Thalia, you will understand."

Thalia didn't respond. She focused on her phone and found the news story she had been scared to look for ever since finding the website. Thalia barely stopped from taking a shaky breath. She clicked on the video and watched Otrera trying to interview Amazon. A hand grabbed Thalia's phone and gently took it from her.

"Don't," Minerva warned. "That wound is still too raw. You are not ready to go there, not yet."

"It's my fault," Thalia said. She closed her eyes. "I told Kronos to kill her."

"No. Kronos pretended that he presented a choice. He knew that you would protect your father," Minerva stated. Thalia shook her head but felt a hand gently grabbed her shoulder. "Every single move that Kronos makes is calculated. He knew there was no way you would choose for your father to die, and even if you had said Jupiter's name, I have no doubt that Kronos would have still put a bullet through Reyna's skull. His plans failed, and he wanted to send a message to everyone."

"Killing my father would have sent a message," Thalia muttered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Minerva kneel next to her.

"No. Your father would have died a hero. He would have gotten a statue in his name, and the city would have mourned. They would have moved on though," Minerva stated. "Many people still saw Reyna as a villain, and most would not disagree with Kronos' comment of taking out the trash. Kronos is trying to attack the very foundation of the Olympian's values."

"To never kill anyone. No matter what they do," Thalia stated. "I know many people don't agree with that."

"Not all of the Olympians did either," Minerva said. She sighed sadly. "Most of us were able to come to an agreement, but as you know, Pluto was the one that we weren't able to convince. He believes that mercy towards villains could only end in a body count. He murdered many people, and some would argue that the streets became safer. Safety should never be secured by bloodshed though."

"After Kronos killed Reyna, most people saw it as a villain off of the streets. They want to know why we don't do the same things to the Titans. Kronos wants to cause mistrust, confusion, and chaos. He has been successful in that so far," Minerva stated. "Many people saw what he did and remember what he did before. If they were not there, they heard stories. Many are calling for him to face the death penalty and for harsher punishments for other villains."

"Maybe, Kronos deserves death," Thalia stated. She met Minerva's eyes. "Who is he to take a life and not face any consequences?"

"Pluto thought the same thing," Minerva stated. A frown suddenly came to her face, and she placed a hand to her headphones. Thalia looked at the laptop and studied the scene in front of her. The camera showed a table that was filled with writing, and Annabeth seemed to be going through all of them. "Do you see anything?"

Minerva moved closer to Thalia and seemed to turn the volume up on the laptop. Thalia moved closer so she could hear properly. Her phone was forgotten as she slipped it back into her pocket.

"No," Annabeth answered. "It looks like someone was living here, but there is no clue on who it could be. Hold on."

Thalia watched the camera whirl around to reveal a bed. Annabeth hurried towards a door and peeked out. The hallway light was flickering, but there was someone standing at the far edge of the hallway. They turned around, and a gun flashed in their hands.

"Annabeth Chase," Mnemosyne stated. She aimed the gun at Annabeth. "I was hoping to find your mother here, but you will have to do."

Thalia stared at the camera. Minerva had gone pale and was frozen in shock. It was a new look for her. She was always so calm and in control, but it looked like the thought of her daughter in danger was more than she could comprehend. Thalia grabbed the headphones from Minerva. Before she could say anything, a door in front of Annabeth opened, and Bianca stepped out into the hallway.

"I found it," Bianca began. Her gaze was focused on Annabeth, but she slowly turned her head to look at Mnemosyne. A small smile came to the Titan's face.

"Nico, can you hear me?" Thalia asked into the headset. She stared at the laptop. "Bianca and Annabeth are in some kind of hallway. Mnemosyne is there with a gun. Help them. Annabeth, keep her talking. Ask why she broke into city hall and why she took the AI."

"Why did you take the AI?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was calm and not full of the fear that she probably felt. Thalia felt Minerva grip her arm tightly, but she just stayed focused on the laptop. They were going to get Annabeth and Bianca out of there safe. She just wasn't sure how.

"I went through your mother's memories," Mnemosyne stated. She smiled coldly. "I know the importance of the AI, and I also know that if it was set loose in the city, the Olympians would be blamed. It would buy me enough time for my next plan."

"Ask her if she means the Olympian's vault," Thalia said. She wanted nothing more than to yell for Nico to help, but she needed to keep calm. Thalia knew that Nico had heard her, so hopefully, he would be there soon.

"Are you trying to distract the Olympian's while you break into their vault?" Annabeth asked. Instead of answering, Mnemosyne just smiled wider. Then, she fired the gun multiple times. Thalia watched a blur slam into Bianca, knocking her to the side. The camera cracked a moment later and cut out, like it had taken a bullet.

"Annabeth?" Thalia asked quietly. She couldn't hear any sounds from any of the earpieces, but a finger had to be pressed to the earpiece to activate it. A lack of response didn't mean they were dead. It couldn't. "Bianca, are you hit? Nico, can you hear me? Report. Someone give me a fucking report!"


	11. Make Her Suffer

"I never knew that evil had a form," Letus stated. He stared into the room in front of him. The head of the Titans, Kronos, was sitting in a chair. There was golden handcuffs around his wrists and golden chains that kept his arms trapped to the table. There would also be chains around his ankles. Two armed guards were standing outside the door, and if there was any danger, more would rush in.

"Evil or not, he deserves a fair trial," the woman next to Letus stated. After a moment, Letus turned his head to look at her. The woman was shorter than him, but she was wearing a suit that made her presence larger. "Do you not think so?"

"With the Olympians in charge, there is no such thing. Themis, you know that," Letus stated. A small smile came to Themis' face. "Why is the judge of this case visiting Kronos? Doesn't that paint you in a bad light?"

"I am visiting the prison that we have thrown villains into for life," Themis stated. Letus smiled at the judge in front of him. Themis was about half of his age, but she had much more spirit than he did. All she wanted to do was make sure justice ruled throughout Olympian Plains. Everyone needed a fair trial, and she would break her back making sure that happened.

It was not an easy task in this town though. The Olympians had ruled the court system for years, lining it with their handpicked judges. It was only recently that most of those judges had retired and were replaced by newer ones, free of the Olympian's influence. There was much more work to do, but Olympian Plains was slowly escaping the grasp of their namesake.

If someone could make a dent in that power and influence, it was Themis. She seemed to have a power of her own, to be able to tell whether someone was truly guilty or not. Letus knew that Themis didn't actually have powers. She just had strong morals, a good heart, and a keen mind. All of those seemed to help her identify who the real monster in a room was.

"The Titans broke out of here recently, because the guards slacked in their jobs. They had grown complacent from all of those years just staring at a wall. It's a waste of money. I went to the mayor about this and finally managed to convince him to allow me to move another prisoner here," Themis explained.

"Who would you move?" Letus asked. He frowned and tried to think about it. There was a few criminals with powers who had been thrown inside a regular prison with the rest of the common folk, and they just had the handcuffs that dampened their powers. The Olympians should have moved those criminals to Tartarus a long time ago, but they wanted to keep just the Titans in their special little prison.

"Are you familiar with Khione?" Themis asked. Letus thought for a few moments but finally shook his head. "She has powers to turn down the temperature around her to below freezing. If her handcuffs were to ever fall off, there is no telling how many other prisoners she could kill. If we have a prison designed to hold the most dangerous criminals in the world and if there is space to spare, we should add more prisoners."

"Agreed," Letus said. He heard the door near them open, and three guards walked in. Letus turned to face them. "Is he ready?"

"Yes," the guard answered. He motioned to the window. Letus knew it was a one way mirror, and Kronos wouldn't be able to see them. He had to be able to feel them though. "The walls are impossible to hear through, so you can have privacy while doing this. Two guards will be outside the door, and I will be watching through the window. If at any point you think Kronos is going to do something, look at me. We will pull you out immediately."

"I don't think I have anything to fear," Letus stated. He looked towards Themis, who was looking at another guard. "Have a good evening, Themis. I will see you sooner or later."

"Have a good night, Letus. Remember to keep an open mind about him," Themis said. She looked towards the guard. "I am ready for the tour."

Themis followed the two guards out of the room. Letus was left with the third, who nodded towards him. Letus grabbed both of his briefcases and followed behind the guard. He was led to the door and stepped inside. Kronos didn't turn to look. In fact, he didn't make any movements at all.

Letus heard the door behind him close. He walked toward the opposite side of the table from Kronos and sat his briefcases on the table. Letus opened one of his briefcases and spread his files out on the table. This trial was going to be impossible. There was footage of Kronos murdering that girl. He had planned the breakout, and there was no way there would be a fair trial. The jury already knew all about what Kronos did. The only thing Letus could do was make sure his client escaped without the death penalty.

But, Kronos deserved death. Letus slowly looked at the man in front of him. Kronos was staring at him with intelligent, cold eyes. It would be all too easy to kill the monster then and there. Kronos' handcuffs would keep him from defending himself. All it would take was one touch.

Letus couldn't do it though. He wanted nothing more than to slay the monster, but there was too many witnesses around. The guards would know that he did it, and they would learn that he had powers. The Olympians would learn. Letus couldn't kill Kronos, not without breaking the promise that he made so long ago.

That promise haunted Letus everyday. It saved his life, but it also condemned another. The only thing Letus could do was pour everything into the two trials in front of him. He had to protect his reputation from Kronos' trial, and he had to get Pluto's sentence overturned. Letus spent the last decade trying to do just that, and he was so close.

"Do you believe in heaven or hell?" Kronos asked. Letus slowly looked up at the villain. Kronos was sitting back, relaxed. There was a small smirk on his face.

"I don't see what my personal beliefs have to do with your trial," Letus stated. He looked through the papers. How was he even going to start this one? There was no way he could prove that Kronos didn't mean to do it. It would be hard to argue that Kronos would do anything useful with his life. Maybe, he could argue that one less person in Tartarus would mean one less job.

"You must believe," Kronos stated. "You have a code of ethics after all. Morals, I guess. If there is a hell, I must be destined to go there, as any other sinner would. Would I not be welcome with open arms?"

"Let's not say that to the jury," Letus said. It almost felt like he was talking to a brick wall. Kronos probably didn't care about what happened to him. His plan had already failed. The only thing he had left to do was create as much chaos as he could during the trial.

"How many others destined to go to hell have you defended?" Kronos wondered. Letus met his eyes. "If you have morals and convictions, why do you defend those that are guilty? Why try to stop those who are going to hell from going to prison? Isn't it just practice?"

"I only defend those who I truly think are innocent," Letus stated. "I am only defending you because I am forced to. I will extend the same professional courtesy to you that I do to all of my clients. I will defend your case to the best of your abilities, but you have to work with me."

"Why defend Hades then?" Kronos asked. Letus slowly looked at him. "We both know he is not innocent. Why would you defend a man who has guilt written all over his face, unless you know him outside of work?"

Letus remained silent. There was no way that Kronos could know that Pluto and Letus had a friendship that went back since their childhood. He couldn't know how fiercely loyal Letus was. It was time to change the conversation.

"Did you kill Praetor?" Letus asked. Of course, he knew that Kronos had shot Praetor in the head. There was a damned video of it, but Letus also trusted Hecate. If Hecate thought that there was something odd about the entire scene, he believed it as well. She was able to see things that other couldn't.

"I helped her ascend," Kronos said, and he smirked once again. Letus frowned. Kronos just gave him a non answer. He framed it as a mocking joke, but it spoke volumes. Kronos didn't confirm that he had killed the girl, but he also didn't deny it. It was always the things that people didn't say that gave away their thoughts.

"You must work with me," Letus said, after a minute of thought. "I will defend you to the best of my abilities, but we must find a common ground."

"There won't be a trial," Kronos said. Letus looked at him and frowned. Kronos closed his eyes. "You can leave, Letus."

After a moment, Letus gathered up his papers and placed them back into his briefcase. He closed the briefcase and stood. There was no need to talk to Kronos anymore. The villain had just given him a huge clue to the future. Were the Titans planning another breakout? Was something else going to happen?

The two guards entered the room, and Letus grabbed his briefcases. He followed the two guards out of the room and spoke, "I was also told I was allowed to see my other client."

Neither of the guards said a word. They just started walking towards Pluto's cell. Letus knew the path by heart, but he still followed behind the guards. Letus made it towards the small room that held one of his best friends. The two guards opened the door, and Letus stepped inside.

"Evening," Letus greeted. He studied his friend. Pluto was standing at a bookcase and looking through a book. Letus walked towards the table and sat his briefcases down. He opened one of the briefcases and pulled out all of the files for Pluto's trial. "How has your day been?"

"Something feels wrong," Pluto stated. Letus looked up quickly. Pluto turned towards him. He didn't look pale or flush. It didn't seem like he was sick, but it was very possible that something was wrong with him. A few guards had already tried to poison Pluto. A few had even taken shots at him with a baton. Sometimes, men let power go to their head.

"I can get a doctor," Letus said. He began to turn, but he saw Pluto hold up a hand. Letus frowned. "What feels wrong?"

"I don't know. I just have this terrible feeling in my gut," Pluto said. "Like the world is out balance. I had this feeling once before."

"With her," Letus whispered. He did not dare say the name aloud. Pluto looked away and seemed to be lost in thought. The man had a very close connection to death. Some people would even say he was death. If Pluto was death, why would he take away the one woman that he loved?

Maria Di Angelo. Just the name sent a mixture of sadness and anger through Letus' chest. Maria and Pluto had met when Pluto went to Italy on a business trip. The two instantly hit it off, and Maria came back to Olympian Plains with Pluto. The two married and had two wonderful kids, until disaster struck.

They did not speak of the day that Maria Di Angelo died in the crossfire of a hero and villain. Pluto changed that day. He became much more reserved. He dove deeper into his company but also deeper into his responsibilities as an Olympian. He mourned alone, until he found the villain that had caused so much of his suffering. Letus remembered that day, and he still remembered the screams of the villain: the first of many.

A knock at the door snapped Letus out of his thoughts. He frowned and glanced at his watch. Dinner time had already passed, and he had been given permission by the warden to stay as long as he needed. Was Themis stopping by to see Pluto? Letus turned his head and watched the door open. His jaw nearly dropped in shock.

Two guards were standing by the door, but another man stood in between them. The man wore a suit that hid his muscles well. His long, black hair was disheveled and out of place. There was an almost hollow look in his eyes. What was Jupiter doing at Tartarus?

The last time that Jupiter had seen his brother was when he was locking Pluto in his cell. Letus felt his own gut twist. He watched Jupiter walk into the room. Jupiter gave the guards a dismissive wave, and they slowly left the room.

"Brother," Pluto said. He stared at Jupiter, but Jupiter couldn't even meet his eyes. "What happened?"

"Vulcan's AI, Talos, went missing recently. We sent teams out to try and find it," Jupiter began. He looked down. "You may want to sit down."

"Jupiter. What happened?" Pluto asked. Instead of sitting down, he stood to his full height. His eyes almost seemed like they were starting to turn black, and his voice sent shivers down Letus' spine. Jupiter didn't flinch.

"One of the teams found the AI. Both Bianca and Nico were in that team," Jupiter continued. Pluto grabbed his chair, as if trying to find something to support him. Jupiter took a deep breath. "Mnemosyne laid a trap for us, and your children were caught in the crossfire."

"Bianca is in the hospital. She took a bullet to the side, but she will live," Jupiter said. He slowly looked up at Pluto. "Bianca was going to take a bullet to the chest. Nico tackled her out of the way. The bullet went though his neck instead. He didn't suffer long."

Pluto didn't react. He just stared ahead, with a blank look. His brain was either trying to process the words or had just shut down. Jupiter spoke, "Mnemosyne got away, but we will spare no expense in finding her. I will let you know as soon as Bianca is out of the hospital. I'm sorry."

Jupiter turned and left the room. After a minute of standing there, Pluto slowly pulled the chair out and sat down. Letus looked at Pluto and then the table. From the interactions that they had, Letus liked Nico. He was a good kid. Was.

Letus slowly looked at Pluto for a reaction, but he didn't get one. Pluto just stared ahead. How was a father suppose to react to the news that his only son had died? How was Pluto suppose to react to the news that the one person who visited every single month in this godless place was dead? Letus didn't know, and that scared him.

After a few minutes, Pluto sat down. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Pluto finally opened his eyes and looked at Letus. He spoke, "Find Mnemosyne. Make her suffer."

"I will," Letus swore. He stood and gathered his papers once again. Letus quickly packed his briefcase and then grabbed both of them. He looked back at Pluto. "I will get everyone on this."

"Thank you," Pluto said. He closed his eyes once again. Letus walked towards the door and stared at it. After a moment, he opened the door and nodded to the two guards. Letus gave one last look towards Pluto and saw that Pluto was doing something that he had never done in all of those years that they knew each other, not even when he learned that Maria had died; Pluto was crying.


	12. Pandora's Box

As Khione let out a deep breath, she smiled as it almost instantly turned into a fine mist. The air around her was freezing cold, but it didn't bother her. Cold represented power, and she embraced that power. Khione looked around her small prison cell.

The cell was twenty feet wide and twenty five feet long. There was a bed in one corner, and a small toilet in the other. A bookcase was near the bed, but it was full of novels with important pages missing. Khione would never be able to find out who any of the murderers in the novels where, as the pages with the big reveal were missing or marked too bad to see anything.

Life in the prison cell was actual hell, and if she had known it would be like this, she wouldn't have taken the plea bargain and would have taken her chances to break out of the court. It wasn't like the special handcuffs she wore really stopped her powers.

Khione had what she liked to call a passive power and an active power. Her passive power caused her to lower the temperature around her to near freezing, and if she concentrated, she could drop the temperature even lower. Her powers also affected the little special handcuffs that they put on her.

Something about the cold affected the handcuffs. Instead of stopping the power, it suppressed them, so she could grab someone and give them a nasty case of frostbite. It wasn't as fun as just freezing someone to death or even into an ice sculpture, but it was always fun to bully the new guards.

That was probably why she didn't have any privileges. Her dinner was delivered by a guard dressed in full winter gear, and they would push the tray towards her on the icy floor. Before Khione could blink, the guard would flee, and she was left alone to eat a cold meal.

The cold never bothered Khione. In fact, all kinds of weather fascinated her. That was probably due to the fact that her father was a weatherman who traveled the world, until he let the stress of his job drive him to insanity. Khione was left to take care of her two brothers. They were struggling to make ends meet, until Khione's powers suddenly kicked in.

There was no warning for Khione's powers. She had woken up one day to a near freezing house. Her brothers didn't seem to mind too much, but Khione could see how she was nearly freezing everything around her. It took months to get her powers under control, but when she did, money was no longer a problem. Who could stop a mugging if their blood was literally turned to ice?

Khione was able to set her brothers up for life, before she was caught. In the end, she almost wished that she had shoved her brothers onto the street and kept all the money she had made to start a new life. Khione couldn't do that though, since her brothers would have just sold her out. Bastards.

Things were changing though. Khione had been visited two nights before and was told she was being transferred to Tartarus. A special cell was being built just for her, but it would also be a place she could live. She would even have her own television.

Khione found it all funny. She was a mistreated prisoner in this normal jail, stuck to her own cage. Gong to Tartarus meant she would have a room all to her own. She would be treated better than the prisoners at the current jail, but wasn't Tartarus where the worst of the worst went? Why were they being treated so well?

Footsteps caught Khione's attention. She looked up and watched the person standing outside of her cell. A frown came to her face, as she recognized the man. He was the one who first escorted her to her jail cell. The man looked ready for winter. He wore heavy, winter pants that were tucked into his boots. A bulletproof vest resided over what looked like a heavy winter coat. He wore a balaclava that didn't expose his mouth, and goggles covered his eyes. There was no exposed skin, which was such a shame.

"Johnson," Khione spat. She stared at the name that was printed onto his vest. Johnson was the leader of the Olympian's elite unit. They were the ones who transported villains with powers to and from legal hearings and jails. They were the best of the best. Khione knew that Johnson was former military, but the man had no powers of his own.

"Khione," Johnson greeted. Three more guards appeared behind him. They all wore identical outfits to Johnson, with the only difference being the names printed on their chest. Two of them held assault rifles: Reynolds and Brown. The fourth one had no weapon, other than a pistol strapped to their hip. They also didn't have a special little name printed on their vest.

"I will only explain this to you once, Khione. Make sure you are listening," Johnson said. Khione glared at the man. "Today, you are being transported to Tartarus, where you will serve out the rest of your sentence. If you make a move to escape or hurt any of my men, I will make sure that you lose all of the privileges that they want to give you. Am I understood?"

"Crystal," Khione answered. She watched Johnson open the cell. He walked towards her holding chains. Considering the other two had raised their guns, Khione just slowly stood and offered her hands. Johnson carefully chained her hands and legs. Then, he removed the handcuffs.

"Reynolds, search her for any weapons. Keep an eye on her Brown," Johnson answered. He stepped away and grabbed the small bag that Khione had. She had put all of her meager belongings with her inside that bag. Johnson carefully swung the bag across his back and walked back towards the fourth guard. Khione paid no attention to the man searching her. Instead, she focused on Johnson and the fourth guard.

"Until we get to Tartarus, I expect you to follow my lead," Johnson said. The fourth guard nodded. "Good. I want you to hang back, and if Khione tries anything, do not interfere unless me and my men are incapacitated. We are trained to handle this. You are not. I appreciate that Tartarus has sent us a guard, but it is my rodeo until we set foot into Tartarus. Then, I had the reigns over to you."

"Your show," the fourth guard promised. Khione saw Reynolds step away and nod towards Johnson. Khione watched Johnson motion for her to walk forward, and she did. She was going to take the first opportunity to escape that she could, but there was no sense trying it while she was still inside the prison.

"Follow my lead, Khione," Johnson said. He started to walk forward. Khione slowly followed him. Reynolds flanked her right side, and Brown flanked her left. They both held their rifles in a relaxed fashion, but both barrels were pointing right at her. The fourth guard, the one from Tartarus, followed behind them.

The walk between the five of them was in complete silence. Khione didn't feel the need to talk to any of the peasants, and as soon as she got out of this hellhole, the better it would be for her. She wouldn't miss any of the people there. Khione hissed as she felt the chains straining against her powers. It took a deep breath for her to refocus, and they made it outside.

Khione stopped walking and stared up at the sky. It had been a full year since she had seen the sun. Instead of pushing her forward, Johnson held up a hand and waited for a few moments. Khione took a few deep breaths and tried to soak in the sun. She hated the warm weather, but considering the only thing above her for the last year was concrete, she was willing to take what she could get.

Johnson finally cleared his throat, and Khione forced herself to start walking again. Johnson slammed his hand twice into the back of the truck, and then, he opened one of the doors. Reynolds opened the other, and the two guards helped Khione climb inside. They sat her on a bench. Reynolds sat on her right, and Brown sat on her left. The two guards sat far enough away that she couldn't reach over and grab their guns. Johnson and the guard from Tartarus sat across from her.

Reynolds slammed his hand against the cage that separated the back of the truck from the driver. After a few moments, the van started to move. Johnson turned his gaze towards the guard from Tartarus and spoke, "I didn't catch your name."

"Ramirez," the guard answered. Johnson nodded his head and then focused back on Khione. It took all of Khione's willpower to not sneer at him. There was no way for her to break out of the van. Even if she took out the four in the back of the van with her, she still didn't have a way to get to the driver.

Khione sighed and closed her eyes. None of her guards talked, which was nice. If she thought really hard and ignored the sounds of random horns outside, she could actually imagine she was somewhere on vacation and not going to the place that she would be trapped in for the rest of her life.

It took about half a hour for the van to come to a stop. Khione could hear muffled talking outside, and the van slowly started to move once again. It maintained a constant, steady speed, until it came to a stop. Johnson stood and opened the door to the van. He spoke, "You're up, Ramirez."

Ramirez nodded and stepped out of the van. Khione slowly climbed out of the van, escorted by her two guards. They both flanked her side and walked with her. Ramirez led them towards the front entrance, and Johnson followed behind.

"Stop," Johnson suddenly ordered. Khione slowly did. She walked Ramirez continue forward. They handed four cards to the guard that was at the front entrance. The guard scanned each of the cards and then handed them back. After a nod, the guard that had scanned the cards hurried away. Ramirez held the front door open for them.

Khione took a shaky breath as she walked towards the entrance of Tartarus. She heard plenty of stories about the place, but she wasn't sure how many of them were true. The one thing that she did know was that there was plenty of monsters worse than her in there.

Khione felt her two guards leave her side and step behind her, so they could walk single file through the door. Khione walked through the door and suddenly felt herself hit something solid. She blinked and realized she had walked right into Ramirez, but she could have sworn that she wouldn't have walked into the guard. Did the guard dare walk in front of her?

A barrel of a gun pressed into the back of Khione's head, and someone gave her a harsh warning. Khione didn't hear it though. All she felt was something warm in her hands. It had been given to her when she bumped into Ramirez. Khione's eyes shot down towards the key that was tucked in her hands, and a smile came to her face.

"Behave," Johnson warned. "One more incident like that means you lose all your privileges. Do you understand me?"

"Loud and clear," Khione said, but her eyes were focused on Ramirez. After the rest of the guards made it through the door, Ramirez started to lead them once again. Khione glanced around at her surroundings. She didn't seen any other guards, but she knew there was at least fifty of them that worked at the prison. Were they all scared of her powers? She certainly couldn't be the most dangerous person there.

Khione followed behind Ramirez, and she toyed with the key. This was her chance to escape, and she was going to take it, before they got too far from the entrance. As they made it into a narrow hallway, Khione slid the key into one of the shackles. She slowly opened it and kept it in her place with her hand. Khione unlocked her other shackle and smiled. Now, the fun would begin.

Khione allowed the chains to drop. The chains around her leg would dampen her powers but not enough to stop her. In an instant, Khione turned towards Reynolds and grabbed his face. She thought of winter in her hands, and Reynolds screamed in agony. Brown raised his gun, only for an icicle to tear through his throat.

A knife flew past Khione's ear, and she heard a gasp behind her. Khione threw Reynolds to the ground and turned towards Johnson. There was a knife buried in his shoulder, and he was struggling to grab his sidearm. Khione grabbed his neck and spoke, "Stand down."

Johnson gasped, and before he could scream, Khione turned his blood to ice. Johnson instantly collapsed, and Khione let him fall. She smiled coldly and removed the chains from her legs. Now, she was finally back to full power.

"The guards are all away from the cells, to get away from your powers of cold. They think you will be in a cell in ten minutes, so we need to move," Ramirez said. Khione sighed. There was one more problem to deal with. She turned and reached out for Ramirez's throat.

Ramirez caught her wrist, and the cold stopped. Khione gasped in shock and stared at Ramirez. She couldn't use her powers. Khione focused on the hand that tightly gripped her wrist. There was no longer a glove on the hand. Ramirez spoke, "You can help me break out the Titans, or you can make the worst mistake of your life."

"Titans? You're insane," Khione said. After a moment, the hand let go of her wrist, and the cold came back. Khione took a few steps backwards, but she finally nodded. Ramirez turned and started to walk away. After a moment, Khione followed.

Ramirez walked towards a closed door. There was some kind of keypad on the outside of the door, and Ramirez motioned to it. After a moment, Khione thought of the cold and allowed it to grow in her hand. She placed her hand to the keypad. It short circuited almost immediately, and there was a small click. Ramirez pushed the door open.

"It's time," Ramirez said into the room. "Give us a minute to pass, so Khione doesn't freeze you to death."

Khione didn't hear a response, but Ramirez moved on to another cell disguised as a room.. They repeated the process, until they had opened seven cells in total. Ramirez repeated her message each time, until they made it to the seventh cell. That was when she stepped inside. After a moment and against her better judgment, Khione followed.

As Khione made it into the cell, she stared at the most infamous villain in the history of Olympian Plains. Kronos was sitting in a chair and staring at the entrance to the cell. There was a content look on his face. If he was bothered by Khione's cold, he didn't show it.

"Everything has gone to plan. You have done well, Reyna. Are we ready to move out?" Kronos asked. Ramirez nodded. "Good. We will leave my wife here, so she is not caught in the crossfire. I will gather the Titans and secure our escape. You take our new friend and destroy all of the security footage."

"Understood. Tethys and Mnemosyne are in position," Ramirez said. She walked out of the cell. Khione stared at Kronos and slowly walked backwards. She quickly followed behind Ramirez. Were they really breaking the Titans out of Tartarus?

The two of them hurried down the hallway. Khione wasn't sure where they were going, but Ramirez seemed to know all of the twists and turns by heart. Ramirez suddenly came to a stop and stared at the keypad that was to their right. Khione looked at it as well. The keypad looked newer than the ones that the Titans had on their cells.

Ramirez placed her hand to the keypad, and Khione heard it shorten out. The door to the cell opened, and Ramirez stepped inside. Khione peeked into the cell and stared at the man that was laying in a bed on the other side of the room. Her heart almost jumped from her chest.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hades asked. He stood and studied them. Khione quickly disappeared behind the door, so he wouldn't see her. Hades was not what she expected, but she had heard plenty of stories. "Who are you?"

"They call me Praetor," Ramirez said. Her gloved hand casually rested on the gun at her side. The hand without a glove on it was resting in her pocket, but Khione remembered the cold disappearing. This Praetor seemed to have the ability to stop powers. Wait. Praetor? Khione remembered the gossip in prison was that a villain named Praetor had been executed by Kronos, but none of this made sense. This couldn't be the same Praetor, right?

"Praetor," Hades repeated. He seemed to be thinking the same thing that Khione was. "And, what are you doing inside my cell?"

"I'm breaking the Titans out of this hellhole. We're already leaving one in their cell, but I refuse to leave anyone else behind. No one should have to be trapped in a cell for the rest of their life, no matter what others say about them," Ramirez said.

"I guess I owe you then, Praetor," Hades said. He stood and smiled. Hades turned and started to pack his items. Ramirez left the room. She started to walk away, and after a moment, Khione followed. Her gaze looked back towards the room. Did Ramirez know the evil that she had just unleashed?


	13. Chaos Theory

"Sir, we should not do this," Mnemosyne insisted. She stared at Kronos and watched him eye the key card that they had taken from a guard. Everything was going so well. Reyna had managed to walk into Tartarus disguised as a guard, and she used that wannabe villain Khione to open all of the cells. The two would return soon from deleting the security footage.

Mnemosyne had paid a visit to the warden the night before and made sure that he remembered to send a very important email that morning. The email told all of the guards to stay out of the pathway that Khione would walk, so they would be safe from the cold. It would also allow Reyna enough time to free all of the Titans and escort them out.

Everything was going according to plan, until Kronos walked past the cell of his wife. It had been Mnemosyne's idea to leave Rhea to rot. The woman had never helped them, and she probably didn't hold an evil bone in her body. Her love for Kronos had blinded her to the monster that her husband was, until he tried to set the city on fire. From there, she never helped them.

"Just leave her," Mnemosyne said. Her biggest fear was that they would free Rhea, and the little bitch would run straight to the Olympians and ruin all of their plans. Mnemosyne didn't trust Rhea as far as she could throw her.

"Do not tell me what to do," Kronos said. His normally calm voice was full of venom. Mnemosyne shook her head and turned away. Of all the times that it could happen, why was Kronos now getting a heart? Why did he care what happened to Rhea? She was nothing more than a traitor anyway. "I was worried that she would be caught in the crossfire, but now, I worry the Olympians will threaten her."

Mnemosyne remained silent and bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. For someone who was so sure of himself, Kronos doubted everything when it came to his wife. She was a poisonous cloud that ruined his confidence and muddled his thoughts. Mnemosyne could only watch as Kronos swiped the badge, and the cell door opened.

Mnemosyne looked around the hall. The other Titans had been escorted from the building by Tethys. They would have to sit inside the back of the prison van that had been driven inside, as the guards at the gate would be expecting them to leave soon. Everything would go perfect, even if Rhea added a ripple in their plans.

Footsteps caught Mnemosyne's attention. She quickly turned and watched Reyna round the corner. Khione was no longer at her side. Mnemosyne spoke, "Is it done?"

"The footage is deleted," Reyna answered. She cursed softly and pulled off her mask. Her hair was drenched in sweat, and her face was red. "Khione left when I turned my back, but I don't think she'll be a problem."

"We're almost there," Mnemosyne said. Reyna nodded and wiped her forehead. She put her mask back on and glanced at the open cell. Kronos stepped out with Rhea a moment later. Instead of questioning why Kronos was diverting from the plan, Reyna walked down their exit path, and Mnemosyne followed behind.

Reyna was exactly like her mother: easy to fool. The girl trusted Mnemosyne and Tethys with her life, after she had been spoon fed the story that they saved her. She didn't push them too far and bought into all of the lies that Mnemosyne told her. Manipulating the girl was as easy as manipulating her memory.

Mnemosyne had been a skeptic when Kronos first told her that they needed Reyna on their side, until she was told the story of Reyna's father. Apparently, Reyna's father had managed to stop Bellona's powers a few times when they were together, with just a touch. It was always accidental, but it was always when they had their arguments.

Reyna's father had been a solider, and he was also in the same company as Atlas. The company was exposed to a chemical attack that left many of them with chemical burns or other aliments. Some escaped seemingly unharmed. Everyone involved in the little accident had something in their DNA twisted. Atlas' powers that he received from the nuclear meltdown were enhanced by the chemical attack.

When the DNA of someone caught in the chemical attack and nuclear countdown combined, it created what they saw in Reyna. Mnemosyne wasn't sure of the science of it, if they could even rely on science. Maybe, whoever or whatever was looking down on them decided they wanted to have fun and gave random people powers, but it wasn't really random. There was a pattern in all of that chaos.

As they made it outside, Mnemosyne looked back at the prison. They were at a small side exit that the guards used to go on smoke breaks and hide from cameras. Her gaze moved to the back of the van, where Tethys and Oceanus were embraced in a tight hug. While Mnemosyne had no lover of her own, she could appreciate the feelings that Tethys and Oceanus had for each other. Their trust and love was unbreakable, so much that Oceanus was willing to rot in a cell for months if it meant being able to be with his wife forever.

Tethys finally pulled away and slipped her mask on. She was dressed in the uniform of one of the guards that had been escorting Khione. With any luck, they would be able to make it right past the checkpoint without being questioned. Reyna climbed into the passenger seat, still playing with her mask. The lack of Khione meant that the warm temperatures were back, which was just oh so tragic for the two dressed in winter gear. Better them than Mnemosyne.

Mnemosyne climbed into the back of the van and took a seat as far away from the door as she could. Kronos and Rhea climbed into the van a moment later. Upon seeing Rhea, everyone exchanged looks. None of them would speak up though. None of them would tell Kronos that trusting Rhea would once again lead to their downfall.

Mnemosyne was convinced that Rhea had told the Olympian's they were taking over city hall. That was why not all of the Olympians were there, and how else would the junior Olympians have been able to break into city hall and save their parents? A scowl crossed Mnemosyne's face. Someone had to speak up. It was just a matter of when.

The van started to move, and Mnemosyne looked down. They were so close now. All they had to do was pass the final checkpoint, make it across the bridge, and be home free. If things went south, they could probably fight their way through all of the guards, but they wanted to wait as long as possible to alert the Olympians.

"Did you open it?" Kronos asked. The quiet conversations throughout the van stopped. Mnemosyne looked up at her leader and shook her head.

"Not yet. Tethys has been working on the lock and has narrowed the numbers down. The girl has mastered her powers, and as soon as we give her the material, her powers will multiply," Mnemosyne replied. She smiled. By using Reyna, they would be able to take away the Olympian's powers, leaving them defenseless. Mnemosyne could not wait to make them all pay for their sins.

"I will take a look at it then," Kronos said. He didn't sound angry or upset. It could have been that he was in a good mood, or he was just waiting to unleash his rage. The van came to a stop, and everyone in the van froze. After a few moments, the van took off again.

Mnemosyne could have laughed. They were home free, and it was easier than the first breakout. She leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes. Mnemosyne could not believe how perfectly everything had gone to plan. Breaking into city hall had gone off without a hitch, and the Olympians didn't know that Reyna had forged an email from Chiron to the local prison, giving permission for Khione to be transferred to Tartarus. They bought into Reyna's little act of looking at the vault, so they turned their gaze away from Tartarus.

Failing to kill Athena could have been considered a wrinkle in their plans, but killing the boy turned out to serve the same purpose. The Olympians were looking all around for her and mourning the one they lost. They did not realize what was about to happen. The Olympians had lived upon the mountaintop so long that they became complacent. They did not realize the fall that was before them.

Mnemosyne closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. She listened to the small conversations that filled the van. No one said a word to her, which was fine. She enjoyed being in the background. After what felt like a half hour, the van came to a stop.

The doors to the van opened, but Mnemosyne did not open her eyes. She waited for everyone to leave the van, and she slowly climbed out. Theia walked around the van and made sure that everyone had exited. Then, she climbed into the driver's seat and drove away.

Theia would drive the van into an ocean or leave it to be abandoned in a forest, whichever was more convenient. A small smile came to Mnemosyne's face, and she turned towards their base. It was an old, abandoned orphanage. There was an inspection of the place a few months before, to see if it needed to be torn down or not. It was decided that the place needed to be torn down, so the Titans had about a year and a half before city hall would actually hire someone for the job.

Mnemosyne was one of the last ones to step into the base, and she looked around. Tethys and Oceanus were all over each other already, probably to make up for lost time. The other Titans wandered towards the kitchen to get real food. Kronos led Rhea towards the briefcase and stared down at it. His gaze moved towards Tethys, and she reluctantly walked towards him.

Reyna walked in behind Mnemosyne. She pulled off her mask and shook her head. Reyna took off her vest and jacket. She sat down in a chair and closed her eyes tiredly. Mnemosyne resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She walked towards the kitchen and grabbed a towel and bottle of water. Upon making it back into the living room, she handed both to Reyna.

"Thanks," Reyna said. She wiped her forehead and drank the water. Mnemosyne turned her attention towards Kronos. He was examining the briefcase, as Tethys explained all of the combinations she had tried. Kronos nodded and started to mess with the dials. After a moment, the briefcase opened.

Tethys stared at Kronos and seemed to be thinking of what to say. She finally let out a deep breath and opened the briefcase completely. A slew of curse words left her mouth, and she lifted a small box. There was another lock on this box, and the lock looked like their was only five numbers instead of six. A small laugh escaped Mnemosyne, and Tethys turned on her.

Tethys raised the box, as if she was going to throw it at Mnemosyne. Kronos grabbed the box from her hand and placed it on the table. He examined the lock and slowly put in a code. When it opened, Tethys stared at him.

"I have been working on this for months! How did you know how to open it?" Tethys demanded. She looked at Mnemosyne, as if she was living through some kind of cruel prank. Oceanus walked up behind his wife and rubbed her shoulders.

"Eight. Four. One. Five. Four. One," Kronos stated. "That is the code for the briefcase. Do you know what it means?"

"If I knew what it meant, I would have had the briefcase open a long time ago," Tethys snapped. Kronos smiled, and Tethys flinched.

"It spells Thalia: the name of Jupiter's first child," Kronos stated. The smile did not leave his face. In fact, it seemed to grow wide. Kronos examined the box that had come from the briefcase. "Two. Three. Seven. Nine. Five. That stand for Beryl. If none of you remember the name, she was the mother of Jupiter's children. She was Jupiter's first love and his first victim."

Kronos' eyes moved around, and they focused on Reyna. The girl was sitting at the table and staring at the ground. Kronos gently lifted the box. He didn't dare open it, to look at the contents inside. Instead, he walked towards Reyna and sat by her.

"None of this would have been possible without you," Kronos whispered. Reyna glanced up at him and nodded. Her gaze moved to the ground, and she shifted. "Tonight, we will use this to enhance your powers. It may be painful, but we are so close to freeing this town from oppression."

"I want to see my sister," Reyna stated. She looked up at them. Mnemosyne frowned. They had been feeding Reyna all kinds of lies to keep her from seeing her sister. If Reyna was reunited with Hylla, all of those months of brainwashing could fall apart. "I held up my end of the bargain."

"You will see her soon," Kronos promised. He gently grabbed Reyna's shoulder. "There is one more step we must take."

"I don't want her to be caught in the crossfire," Reyna muttered. She crossed her arms. "I want her to be safe."

"She will be. I swear it," Kronos said. Reyna nodded but still didn't seem convinced. "Tomorrow. You can see her tomorrow, if we enhance your powers tonight. Is that agreeable?"

Reyna slowly looked at Kronos and nodded. She took the box and stared at it. Kronos looked at Mnemosyne and shooed her away. After a moment, Mnemosyne walked out living room and towards the kitchen. She found most of the Titans were fighting over the microwave. Tethys and Oceanus were nowhere to be found, but Mnemosyne could guess what they were doing. Her gaze moved towards the only person standing by themselves.

"I know what you game is," Mnemosyne whispered. Rhea slowly looked at her. "I will not be fooled. If you do anything to ruin our plans, I will hurt you."

"I do not condone what my husband does, but I have never stood in your way," Rhea stated. Mnemosyne sneered and studied the woman in front of her. "I do not condone the things you did to that girl."

"It doesn't matter what you condone or don't condone. You will keep your mouth shut. Or else," Mnemosyne whispered, and she shoved past Rhea. They worked so hard to get to this point. They were so close to seizing power from the Olympians, and Mnemosyne would not let anyone take that from her.


	14. Breaking News

Being on television was a dream that every kid had. Everyone wanted to have fifteen minutes of fame. Of course, not everyone could get on television. They just weren't pretty enough for the spotlight. And, no one deserved to share Otrera's spotlight.

It really was hard for Otrera. Her back just ached from having to carry the entire weight of Venus' news station. The weather boy didn't know a cloud from the smoke he blew out of his own ass. The sports girl could hardly walk up the stairs without wheezing for breath. Not to mention, all of their weekly special guest were idiots. The entire station was an absolute wreck.

Really, the blame had to fall on Venus. The woman had been a master at juggling a television station, her own talk show, a marriage, and more kids than she had fingers. The kids thing was a rumor of course, and Otrera would never say anything like that about her boss, to her face at least. It didn't change the fact that in the past few months, Venus allowed her grip on the media to slip.

There could have been many of reasons for that. The first possibility was interference from Iris. The second possibility was that Venus was currently spending more time on her back than at her desk planning out her shows. While the second possibility was the most likely, it would mean that Otrera was calling her boss a whore, and Otrera could never do that. Calling Venus a name like that would just be an insult to whores everywhere.

Speaking of whores, Iris and her little hippie fingers were currently dipping into everything that Otrera was trying to sensationalize. Iris insisted that all news stories should be free of bias. She was nothing more than a fool. The general public was full of idiots who loved drama, and they used that drama to distract themselves from their own pathetic lives.

"We are live in ten minutes people!" Venus called. She clapped her hands together, to draw the attention of everyone in the room. There was no need for her to do that though. They were all sitting at a table and looking at the whiteboard in front of them. Venus was also standing near that whiteboard, so maybe if she used her brain, she would realize that everyone was already looking at her.

"We need ratings," Venus continued. She pointed to the writing on the whiteboard. Everyone was suppose to put ideas on the board to get those rating that Venus wanted so badly. If they really wanted ratings, they should have ran a story on the death of Nico Di Angelo.

The official statement from the mayor was that Mr. Di Angelo had been caught in a robbery. How stupid did the mayor think they were? Even the neanderthals knew that city hall was lying and just making more excuses. Otrera wanted nothing more than to dig into the case and bust it wide open, but Venus forbade it.

Everyone loved a good murder, especially the murder of the son of a businessman. Did Nico's sister want the fortune to herself and murder him? Was it the butler? The step mother? Did a rival family want to murder Nico? There was so many possibilities, but she was forced to file the story away and keep all of her wonderful theories to herself, which wasn't going to help them get any rating.

And, Venus was really focused on winning this ratings war with Iris, but news flash, there was no way for a television show to properly compete against an online broadcast. Did the Neilsen rating cover online broadcasts? No. Did Venus need to get her head out of her ass? Yes.

The only way to properly compete with Iris would be to have their own broadcast online. The only thing their website had was their show after it aired. There was no new content or anything to attract people who already watched the show on their television. They needed some kind of new content that was exclusive to their website.

"Ma'am, we could report on the breakout at Tartarus," an intern began. It was their second day there. That poor soul. Otrera smirked as Venus turned towards the intern. "It has been three days, and we haven't reported anything about it."

"Get out," Venus ordered. The intern tried to speak, but Venus opened the door. "Get out. Pack your things and get out."

The intern stared and slowly stood. They walked out of the room, and Venus slammed the door shut. Otrera almost laughed. She was the one who told that intern to suggest reporting the breakout. Otrera just didn't expect the intern would be stupid enough to do it. Weren't they paying attention the day before when Venus mentioned they weren't going to cover the break out, or was that when the intern was getting Otrera's coffee?

The breakout was concerning though. Someone had walked into Tartarus, freed all of the Titans, and then just walked them all out. There was no leads that were presented to the public, and truthfully, Otrera didn't think there was any leads. It was almost like the Titans had disappeared off of the face of the Earth. Oh, there was also the fact that the mass murderer Hades had escaped Tartarus as well.

If Otrera was in charge, she would be running a gossip column online and post a few videos speculating on the Titans and Hades working together to get revenge on the Olympians. It would get people talking and draw eyes away from Iris' website. Instead, they were told to create ratings but did not have any of the juicy stories to use.

The irony of the entire thing was that Iris had already ran a broadcast about the breakout at Tartarus. She stated that the Titans had inside help and had escaped. Iris was so focused on telling the truth, so she wouldn't state the Titans had inside help if she didn't believe it. And, there is only one way she could get that information. Iris received her information from the husband of Venus: the police chief Mars.

It was all a juicy story to Otrera. Venus and Mars were just an absolutely toxic relationship, and it was hilarious. The two got into arguments every month, whether it be over something petty like Venus eyeing a man for a more than two seconds or something serious like Mars losing some of his muscle. Both of them were idiots, and Otrera loved to be invited out to eat with them, as it always ended in an argument.

Even if Venus would never admit it out loud, Otrera was her protege. That much was obvious when Otrera first arrived to Olympian Plains and was sought out by Venus. Otrera was just trying to get a fresh start after she had a little bit of a run in with the law, but she was rich enough to get one of the best lawyers in the country to help her out.

"I have a story that will get ratings," Otrera said. She glanced up from her phone and looked at Venus. The weather boy gave her a side eye, like he had been in the middle of talking. What ideas would he have though? He was just a stupid weather boy. "I guarantee that it will get everyone talking."

"Then run it," Venus said. Otrera nodded and looked back at her phone. She stood and walked out of the room. Her broadcast would be starting in a few minutes, and she couldn't be late for this bombshell. If Venus wanted ratings, she was going to get ratings.

Otrera dropped her phone at her desk and then walked across the large room towards the green screen. She stepped in front of the camera and studied herself, fixing her make up. A small smile came to her face. It was all coming together.

Otrera continued to fix her makeup. She ran through her mental script in her head. Venus walked up behind the cameraman and examined his camera. She then walked towards her own desk and leaned on it. Otrera smiled and saw the cameraman raise his hand.

"We are live in three, two, and one," the camera man said. Otrera smiled and watched the small light on the camera turn green. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Venus watching her closely.

"Good evening," Otrera said, and she smiled at the camera. "I am Otrera welcoming you to the nightly news on Venus' network. Tonight, we have breaking news for you. It is something that you do not want to miss. Before that, we have a few updates on other news stories."

"We can now confirm that one of the thieves from the break in at Vulcan Industries was killed in a mugging gone wrong," Otrera continued. That story was old news, but Venus held onto it. She really needed to get with the times. "The other thief is in the hospital but is expected to make a full recovery. He will be handed over to the authorities. The AI was also recovered a few days ago."

"Jupiter and Juno are reportedly having issues," Otrera said. She went through the rest of her news reports with a small smile on her face. She had memorized the script by heart and was trying to get through it as fast as possible. Otrera didn't want to lose any viewers before her big announcement.

It took Otrera ten minutes to get through the boring, useless stories. No one cared if Jupiter and Juno had a fight. No one cared if an orphanage had almost burned down, and certainly, no one cared if someone found a baby in a dumpster. A smile came to Otrera's face, as she reached the end of her mental script.

"Now, it is time for the breaking news," Otrera said. She smiled wider and closed her eyes. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. Otrera opened her eyes and met Venus' gaze. Venus gave her a small nod. "I have received information from an anonymous source. This is the same source that broke the news on the attempted murder of our beloved mayor and the Cyclops break in."

"My anonymous source tells me that Praetor is alive," Otrera said. She met Venus' eyes. Venus was staring at her in shock. "May I remind you that this is the same praetor that was shot in the head by Kronos. We must all ask ourselves an important question. Was it all a scheme by the Olympians to have an excuse to give Kronos the death penalty?"

"We all know that one of the great heroes, Athena, can read minds, but can she also control them?" Otrera asked. She stared right at the camera. "Is it not odd that Amazon disappeared after Praetor's supposed death? We all know the things that Amazon has done. She would not have stayed silent, and I know that she was not arrested for assaulting me."

"What is the truth folks? Was Praetor's death faked? Was it real? Did Praetor somehow come back from death to haunt us all? Is there more at stake? I will go into more details tomorrow night exclusively on my first newscast exclusive to Venus' website. Don't miss it," Otrera said. The cameraman cut the broadcast.

"What was that?" Venus yelled. Otrera blinked a few times and slowly looked at Venus. Two hands grabbed her face a moment later, but Otrera knew that the hands were itching to be around her throat. "You did not run that story through me first! What are you thinking?"

"You wanted ratings," Otrera answered. "That will get you ratings."

Venus looked like she wanted to say something else, but her phone rang. She swore up and down and let go of Otrera's face. Venus grabbed her phone and stormed away. Otrera just smiled and walked towards her desk. Everyone else was staring at her, but she didn't care In the end, Venus got what she wanted. Everyone in Olympian Plains would be talking about that little clip.

Most importantly, it would draw Amazon out of hiding. Otrera still needed to have a talk with the villain, especially since Amazon punched her in the face. By her calculations, Amazon would probably be paying her a visit later that night, and Otrera would be waiting for her.


	15. The Anonymous Source

Considering she was already the number one trend on the internet two hours after her news report, Otrera was pretty pleased with herself. Venus had spent about twenty minutes yelling at her and demanding that she never do that again, but it was all worth it. City hall wasn't please though, as theyy apparently called Venus and tore her a new one. If city hall was calling, that meant the Olympians were involved.

Otrera sighed and finished booking her flight. It would be nice to take a vacation. She earned it after all of the hard work that she had put in. Otrera's eyes moved to another screen, and she updated her notifications. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on what she said, and it seemed like everyone would be tuning into her special broadcast. A smile came to Otrera's face, and she printed the ticket for her flight.

The ratings for Venus' news show had been the best since the trial of Hades. Otrera had accomplished Venus' goal, and everyone was talking about Venus' show. Why was she so upset then? Otrera glanced at her watch and heard the sound of a door being slammed open. Right on time, it seemed.

Otrera started to look up, but two hands wrapped around her neck. Otrera was pulled to her feet, and she was slammed into the wall. Pain shot through her back, and she was suddenly unable to breath. Otrera blinked a few time and looked at the masked asshole that dared put their hands on her.

"What do you know about Praetor?" Amazon demanded. Her facial expression was hard to see, but there was absolute fury in her eyes. Otrera hit Amazon's hands, to try and free herself from the psychopath's grip.

"Let go," Otrera wheezed. Amazon studied her for a few moments and finally let go. Otrera collapsed against the wall and coughed miserably. She grabbed her neck with both hands and could already tell there would be bruising. It took her a few moments to bring her breathing back under control. "That is another assault that I could charge you with."

"It's going to be a murder, if you don't start talking," Amazon threatened. Otrera rolled her eyes. No one had seen Amazon since the death of Praetor. The last footage of Amazon was when Otrera simply asked her how she felt about the execution of Praetor. And what did Otrera receive for being such a brave, focused journalist? A punch to the face.

Amazon was lucky that the hero Apollo was able to heal Otrera's face. Otherwise, she would be paying for Otrera's surgeries. Otrera tried to press charges, but the police said that Amazon only acted that way because of emotional distress. That was a bunch of bull, but city hall had paid Otrera a nice amount to keep her mouth shut.

Otrera focused on Amazon's face. Amazon wore her stupid little costume, and the mask on her face was different than the other heroes. The Olympians and their little brats wore mask that wouldn't tear easily, but they were thick and heavy enough to not slip easily. The masks pressed against their face and made it easy to tell their expressions. Whatever material that Amazon used in her mask made it impossible to read her expression, and Otrera knew it could negate a simple knife slash to the face.

Otrera walked towards her desk and sat down. She reached one hand into a half open drawer and grabbed onto her pepper spray. Otrera spoke, "What is your connection to Praetor?"

"None of your fucking business," Amazon snapped. Voice modifiers usually hid the emotions of their user, but Amazon was so upset that it was impossible to miss. She was shaking as well. "Why did you say she was alive?"

"Are you friends?" Otrera wondered. She saw Amazon take a step forward, and her hand gripped the pepper spray. "Lovers? It would make a good angle, I think. Or, are you two family?"

Amazon didn't respond, as if she knew that she would give away the answer. Otrera smiled and stood. She slipped the pepper spray into her pocket and hummed to herself. Otrera sighed and spoke, "Alright, I guess I should tell you."

"You asked so kindly after all, by barging into my office and assaulting me," Otrera said. She wiped herself off and looked at Amazon. The villain looked like a caged leopard. "Venus has been bothering everyone at the station about being number one in ratings and getting the most views that we can, so I made up the story. People just gobbled it up, and I know you're wondering if we received great ratings. We did."

"There is no anonymous source. Praetor is rotting in hell where she belongs," Otrera said. She felt two hands grab onto her shirt, and she was thrown across the room. Otrera cried out and tried to reach for her pepper spray. Amazon pinned her to the ground and raised a fist.

"You will be arrested," Otrera warned. She stared at Amazon's fist and still remembered the pain of being punched last time. "I will have you unmasked, and I will report it to everyone. Get off of me. Or else."

After a moment, Amazon stood. It was a good thing that she came to her senses. Otrera slowly backed up and stood. Amazon spoke, "Don't you ever dare disrespect my sister like that again."

"Sister?" Otrera repeated. Amazon froze, and her eyes widened. A grin slowly came to Otrera's face. She walked towards her desk and sat down one more time. Hopefully, Amazon wouldn't attempt to murder her again. Otrera would still try to get under her skin though.

"So, Praetor is the sister of Amazon, probably the younger sister. It's weird, Amazon. Around the time that Praetor died, another teenager died in a car accident. She didn't have a driver's license though, and no one really saw her the weeks before her death. Her name was Reyna. Perhaps, you know her?" Otrera wondered.

"The last time anyone really saw Reyna was at school, before it was shut down for safety. When she died, she left behind an older sister named Hylla. Same height and build as you. Same eyes. Is that a coincidence? I'm not sure. I might have to share this information with the entire town and see what they think," Otrera commented. She could just see Amazon losing control.

Amazon was shaking in anger and clenching her fist tightly. There was a scowl on her face. Her eyes slowly moved around the room, focusing on the corners for some reason. Amazon spoke, "No security cameras?"

"Of course not. Why would we have cameras?" Otrera asked. Her answer was received in the form of two hands grabbing her throat for a third time. Amazon picked Otrera up and slammed her onto the desk. The only difference was the look in Amazons' eyes. "I will tell the police!"

"They'll be here to investigate your death," Amazon snapped. She tightened her grip. Otrera gasped and felt all of the breath leave her. For a small moment, she felt true fear. Amazon was going to kill her. Amazon was suddenly pulled backwards.

Otrera collapsed to the ground and wheezed miserably. A glance up showed that a hooded figure, possibly Huntress if the bow on her back was any indication. Otrera felt the ringing in her ears stop, and she slowly sat up.

"This is not the time and place for this," Huntress snapped. She had Amazon pinned against the wall. Otrera knew it would be a simply matter for Amazon to quite literally flick Huntress away, but it seemed like the villain was trying keep herself under control.

"She lied about Praetor being alive for views," Amazon hissed. Huntress slowly looked back at Otrera, and all Otrera could do was shrug. "Keep Praetor's name and my name out of your mouth. Or else."

"Venus told me to get views, so I did," Otrera replied. She smiled and slowly stood. Otrera leaned against her desk and rubbed her throat. She was going to need a deep body massage and a talk with a lawyer after this. "I do find it weird that Praetor didn't put up much of a fight though. Was it because she knew that she deserved her fate?"

Amazon shoved Huntress backwards and lunged forward. Otrera jumped behind her desk and brandished her pepper spray. Before she could see if the tiny little canister would stop the villain, Huntress grabbed onto Amazon and dragged her backwards.

Otrera watched Huntress seemingly use all of her strength to move Amazon, and after a few moments, Amazon seemed to relent. Huntress dragged Amazon out of the room. After a few moments, Otrera sat down and straightened up her desk.

Otrera glanced at her social media feed, and she could hear the sounds of arguing. After a minute of arguing, a door slammed shut. Otrera held her breath and waited. Part of her expected Amazon to rush back up there and try to strangle her once again or be real dramatic and try to throw her out the window. The other part thought that Huntress would come back to give her a thinly veiled threat. Instead, there was a silence.

After waiting for five minutes, Otrera slowly stood and closed the door to the room. She grabbed her phone and went to the last number she had called. After waiting a few dial tones, she heard someone answer.

"You may not agree with my methods, but it is done," Otrera said. She started to gather her things from her desk along with the ticket for her flight. It was leaving in two hours, and she had to be at the airport soon. "Everyone will think that Hylla stepped away for a few days to calm down. They will not realize what really happened, until it is too late."


	16. The Reunion

Hylla couldn't remember the last time she was this angry. She was so upset that she was almost crying from anger, along with the fact that Otrere was disrespecting her sister just for ratings. Otrera never did like Amazon, but what she did was going too far. There was no need to lie to the entire world that Praetor was alive, just to twist the knife in Hylla's heart.

Hylla wished she had killed Otrera. She wished that she hadn't allowed Thalia to pull her away. Anyone who disrespected the dead deserved what was coming their way. Otrera deserved some kind of punishment for her actions, but it wasn't like Venus would say anything. Otrera was Venus' favorite reporter.

The only thing Hylla wanted to do was go home and drink herself to sleep. Her throat hurt from yelling at Thalia. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before, and upon hearing Otrera's little news report earlier, the only thing she could do was be angry. Kinzie was visiting some of her out of town family, but she was suppose to be back later that night, which would lift Hylla's mood slightly.

Hylla walked up towards her house and let out an angry breath. She didn't know what she was going to do about Otrera, especially since the reporter knew that Hylla was Amazon. It would have just been easier to pick her up and throw her out a window.

Maybe, Thalia would talk to her father, and they would be able to convince Otrera to keep her mouth shut, or they could just cause her to have an unfortunate accident. Either one was good with Hylla. She just needed to get the reporter out of her life.

It took Hylla a few moments to pull her keys out of her pocket, almost knocking her mask out of her pocket as well. She step inside her house and waited for the inevitable impact of two dogs slamming into her. They were at her side constantly. While she enjoyed it at times, there was other times when the two of them reminded Hylla of her baby sister.

The two dogs didn't rush towards her, but she did hear the sound of their tails rapidly thumping against the ground. Hylla frowned and closed the front door. She made her way deeper into the house and towards the kitchen. It was possible the two dogs were hungry and waiting by their food bowl, but Hylla could have sworn that she filled their bowl not too long ago.

Hylla stepped into the kitchen and turned on the light. She looked at Aurum and Argentum. Hylla froze as she saw the dogs were laying by someone's feet. She slowly looked at the person sitting on the counter, and her heart almost stopped.

"Reyna," Hylla whispered. She took a step backwards and stared at Reyna. Her baby sister studied her quietly. She was wearing a purple hoodie and blue jeans, just like she would when she was alive. This wasn't a ghost in front of Hylla though. This was an actual person, unless she was seeing things.

Hylla took another step backwards and tried to think. If she was seeing things, Aurum and Argentum wouldn't be curled up by Reyna's feet. If this wasn't Reyna, the two greyhounds wouldn't be so friendly, so this had to be reality. How was Reyna alive though? Hylla had seen her get shot in the head.

"Hylla," Reyna whispered. She slowly stood and looked like she wanted to say more. Hylla just stared at Reyna. Then, she pulled her younger sister into a tight hug. Reyna hugged her back. Hylla closed her eyes and felt tears in her eyes. She buried her face in her sister's hair.

This was Reyna. This wasn't some illusion or trick. Her baby sister was standing in front of her and very much alive. Hylla swallowed back tears and spoke, "How?"

"I will tell you everything," Reyna promised. She pulled away and looked at Hylla. The only thing Hylla could do was focus on the small scar on her sister's head, right where she had been shot. "Where is Kinzie?"

"She was out of town for a few days. She'll be back soon," Hylla answered. Reyna nodded slightly and looked around. "Reyna, how did you survive?"

"I'll explain everything, but we have to get somewhere safe," Reyna said. Hylla frowned. Was Reyna worried that the Titans were coming back to finish the job? No one seemed to know where the Titans went. "I can take you and come back for Kinzie."

"Hold on," Hylla said. She grabbed Reyna's shoulders. "What do you mean go somewhere safe? If you're worried about the Titans, we can go to the Olympians."

"No," Reyna said quickly. She looked around, and her eyes widened. She leaned in closer to Hylla and lowered her voice. "It's okay. I know they are bribing you. I am going to get you somewhere safe, but we have to go right now."

"What are you talking about?" Hylla questioned. She pulled away from Reyna and frowned. "I'm not being threatened by anyone."

"Hylla, I know the truth," Reyna said. She looked around again. "It is not safe to talk about it here. We have to get back to the Titans."

"To the Titans," Hylla interrupted. She stared at Reyna and stepped away. Was this actually a nightmare? "Reyna, why do you want to go to the Titans?"

"They saved me," Reyna replied. She tapped her fingers against the baton at her side. Hylla slowly recognized it as the same one that Thalia gave to Reyna when they were going to save the Olympians at city hall. It was the same one that could temporarily disable someone's powers.

"They saved you?" Hylla questioned. What the hell was Reyna talking about? Kronos was the one that shot her in the head, and unless things had changed, Kronos was still the leader of the Titans. Why would the Titans shoot her in the head and then save her?

"I promise that I will tell you everything as soon as we get somewhere safe," Reyna said. Hylla wanted to demand an explanation then and there. Instead, she forced herself to nod. Hylla would get into a car and start to drive. Before they actually went anywhere, Reyna would explain to her what exactly was going on.

They both heard the front door open. Hylla turned her head and glanced at Reyna. Her sister grabbed the baton from her side and looked around. Hylla whispered, "Back door?"

Reyna nodded and slowly made her way towards the back door. The rest of the lights in the house were off, but Hylla could still see something moving towards them from the front door. She turned to face the back door, only to see someone else was coming from that way as well.

"Stay behind me," Reyna whispered. She grabbed a mask from her pocket and slipped it on. Hylla nodded and grabbed a kitchen knife. She gripped it in her hands and slowly followed Reyna to the living room. It would give them the most space to fight, as there was only a small couch and table in the way.

Hylla felt Reyna grab her arm, and she glanced at her sister. The two exchanged a nod, and Hylla focused ahead. She watched a figure slink into the room. The shadows seemed to wrap around them, making it impossible to see what they were wearing. It could have been another trick of the shadows, but it looked like they were floating on the ground instead of walking.

"Stay back," Hylla warned. The person moved closer to her, and Hylla lashed out. She slashed right at the person's face, but they just glided out of the way. Hylla slashed again with the knife, only to be dodged once again. Something wrapped around the wrist that held the knife, and Hylla felt her arm go numb. The knife slipped from her grasp.

Hylla slowly looked at the whip that was wrapped around her arm. The whip looked to be pitch black, like the night, but something red pulsated underneath. Hylla stared at the person that held onto the whip. Since they were closer, Hylla could see the fire that seemed to burn in their eyes.

Hylla felt herself being pulled forward by the whip, and she stumbled. She tried to catch her balance and also tried to throw a punch. Being off balance meant that it was easy for the person to dodge and slip behind Hylla.

A solid, heavy object slammed into Hylla's head, and she collapsed to the ground. Hylla placed a hand to the back of her head and tried to ignore the throbbing pain. She tried to stand, but her world started to spin. Hylla collapsed back to the ground.

A look around showed that both Aurum and Argentum weren't moving. The dogs looked like they too had been hit by whips, and it left a burn mark in their fur. Hylla felt anger boil in her veins, but a cry of pain caught her attention.

Hylla looked up to see that Reyna had knocked her own attacker to the ground with the baton. Hylla's attacker cracked their whip, and it wrapped around Reyna's wrist. Reyna dropped her baton and whirled around. Hylla saw a third person appear out of the shadows and tried to call out a warning.

Another whip wrapped around Reyna's legs, and the third person pulled Reyna's legs out from underneath her. Reyna hit the ground hard and tried to scramble for the baton. One of the attackers picked it up and turned it on. They slammed it into Reyna's exposed arm. Reyna cried out and tried to roll onto her back. The baton slammed into her head.

"Stop," Hylla yelled. She stumbled to her feet. A whip wrapped around her own legs, and she hit the ground once again, whacking her head hard. One of her attackers appeared over her, and they were close enough that Hylla could see their features.

The woman had hair that was pulled back into a bun, and her face was covered in wrinkles. She had to be in her fifty or sixties, but she moved like she was Hylla's age. A cry of pain caught Hylla's attention, and she quickly looked towards Reyna. She watched one of the attackers raise a rod and slam it straight into Reyna's side, causing another cry of pain.

The attacker raised the rod once again, and as it caught moonlight from the window, Hylla realized it was a cane. The cane had a thick handle that seemed to be made of metal, and Hylla was pretty sure that was what slammed into the back of her head. She looked away as the cane slammed down once again.

"Enough," the woman standing over Hylla hissed. Hylla tried to move, but her legs were completely numb. She could only feel one of her hands. Hylla slowly made a fist and tried to punch the woman in the head. A whip intercepted her fist and wrapped around it. The woman above Hylla grabbed her face and examined it.

"It has been too long since we had some fun," the attacker with the cane said. They sounded feminine and just as old as the one examining Hylla. It took Hylla a few moments to look at Reyna. Her sister was laying on her side and seemed to be having issues breathing.

Hylla wanted to speak, but she felt the woman examining her grab her jaw tightly. Hylla glared and slowly looked back at Reyna. The third attacker stepped out of the shadows and walked towards Reyna. They spoke, "This one is probably one of His messengers. We should use her to send a message."

"No," the third said. She let go of Hylla's face and stood. Hylla tried to sit up, but she didn't have feeling in her legs or arms. She was completely useless. "The Olympian just wants this one, and he will get what he asks for."

"Of course," the first said. They held the cane over Reyna's head, but they didn't make any more movements. Hylla watched the other two move to her side. One grabbed a needle and inserted it into Hylla's neck. It only took a few seconds for Hylla's eyelids to grow heavy. She looked at Reyna, who was still being guarded.

"Leave her," the third woman said. The first one hissed but nodded. They backed away from Reyna. Hylla tried to call out to her sister. Instead, her eyelids grew even heavier, and her eyes slowly closed. It only took a few more seconds for Hylla to slip away into the darkness.


	17. I Promise

As Kinzie pulled into the driveway of Hylla's house, she let out a tired sigh. Dealing with her family was absolutely exhausting, and she hated going to their annual family reunion. The only reason she did it was to see her mother, who had a full time job as a pilot. Kinzie was lucky to see her mother once a month.

Seeing her mother was the only, and she did mean the only, reason that she endured the rest of her family. If Kinzie had to once again explain that she wasn't going through a phase and that her relationship with Hylla was very serious, she was going to lose it. There was also the millions of questions about Reyna's death. Her family wanted to know everything, but it was too hard for Kinzie to tell them

Kinzie put her car into park and laid her head back. Hylla's car wasn't there, which was odd. Kinzie had called before she started the drive back, and Hylla had sounded irritated. She mentioned something about a broadcast that Otrera made, but she wouldn't go into detail. It didn't explain why Hylla wasn't home though.

Kinzie frowned and turned off her car. She slowly got out and looked at the front door. It was wide open. Kinzie's heart almost dropped to her stomach. If Hylla gone anywhere, she would not have left the front door open. There was only two possibilities. The first was that someone had broken into the house. The second was that something had happened to Hylla.

As she slowly made her way closer to the front door, Kinzie's mind started to race. She remembered seeing the news that the Titans had once again broken out of Tartarus. What if they had found Hylla and hurt her? What if someone had actually broken into the house when Hylla was there? If that was true, where was Hylla's car?

Kinzie glanced inside the house. Only the light in the kitchen was on, and everything looked normal there. Kinzie slowly made her way further into the house, keeping an ear out for anything that was out of the ordinary. Something brushed her leg, and she barely kept from yelling in surprise. Kinzie looked down at Aurum.

The dog's fur was bristled, and his ears were pressed against his head. He made a whimpering noise and walked further into the house. Kinzie stared at the burn mark in Aurum's back. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen and slowly followed Aurum into the living room. Kinzie stared at the scene in front of her.

Argentum was laying next to someone. They wore a mask and had both hands pressed against their side. Kinzie took a single step forward. The person was too short to be Hylla, but the two dogs weren't attacking them. It wasn't Thalia either.

A soft groan escaped the person, and they slowly rolled onto their back. They placed on their hands to their face and slowly grabbed their mask. As they pulled it off, a small gasp escaped Kinzie. Reyna slowly looked at her and quickly tried to sit up. She cursed and collapsed back to the ground.

"Hey. Take it easy," Kinzie whispered. She hurried to Reyna's side and knelt by her. A million questions ran through her mind, but she only focused on one. How was Reyna alive? Kinzie had watched Kronos shoot Reyna in the head. She watched him kick her body over the bridge. How was Reyna alive and in front of her right now? "Take it slow. Are you hurt?"

"Hylla," Reyna began. Her eyes slowly moved around, and she tried to sit up. Kinzie gently grabbed her and helped her stand. She led Reyna towards the couch and sat her down. "They took her. I have to find her."

"You need to take a deep breath and calm down," Kinzie said. Reyna looked at her and placed one hand to her side. There seemed to be a nasty bruise near her temple. Kinzie hurried towards the freezer, put the knife down, and grabbed two packs of ice. She hurried back to Reyna's side and placed one to her temple. Reyna slowly placed the other one against her side. "Who took Hylla?"

"We were attacked by three women," Reyna said. She looked down. "They had some kind of whip that caused you to lose feeling in your limbs if you were hit by it. They said that the Olympian wanted Hylla. That means Zeus ordered for Hylla to be taken."

"Why would Zeus want Hylla? That doesn't make sense," Kinzie began. Reyna studied her for a few moments, and there was a suspicious look in her eyes. After a moment, Reyna sighed and looked down. "Reyna, what's wrong?"

"I know that the Olympians are threatening you and Hylla. The Titans told me that," Reyna said. Kinzie stared at Reyna in confusion. She blinked a few times and tried to process the words. The Titans told Reyna that the Olympians were threatening Hylla. A sick feeling settled in Kinzie's gut.

"Reyna, how did you survive getting shot in the head?" Kinzie asked. She gently adjusted the ice that was pressed against Reyna's temple. Her gaze focused on the scar on Reyna's head. It was impossible for her to quell her worry. She had a small, terrible feeling about what Reyna was going to tell her.

"After Thalia shot me in the head and left me for dead, Mnemosyne saved me," Reyna answered. Kinzie remained silent and tried to keep her face expressionless. Her worst suspicion was confirmed. The Titans had Reyna brainwashed. "I helped break them out of Tartarus, and they told me to come find you before the Olympians could do anything to you. I wanted to come sooner, but I got sidelined for a few days."

"The Titans saved you," Kinzie repeated. Reyna nodded. Kinzie knew that Mnemosyne had the power to manipulate memory, so she had no doubt that Reyna's memory had been manipulated. Reyna seemed to believe with all of her heart and soul that the Titans had saved her, and maybe, they had, after Kronos shot her in the head. The Titans had to be planning something, but what could it be?

Kinzie looked down and slowly thought her way through the situation. Reyna believed that Thalia shot her in the head and that the Titans rescued her. It was probably true that the Titans did rescue Reyna, but Kinzie knew what she had seen. Why would Kronos want to manipulate Reyna's memory though?

"How did you get sidelined?" Kinzie asked. Reyna slowly looked at her. She was clearly in pain and looked disoriented. "Actually, don't worry about answering. You need to lay down and rest. You can answer my questions later."

"No," Reyna said quickly, and her eyes narrowed. Kinzie was only concerned about Reyna, but something told her that Reyna did not see it that way. "I have to get going."

Kinzie wanted to argue with Reyna. Instead, she looked down and spoke, "Alright. I have to tell someone that Hylla is missing though."

"You can't," Reyna said quickly. She tried to stand. Kinzie grabbed her gently and helped her stand. Reyna studied Kinzie for a few moments. "There isn't anyone that we can trust, Kinzie. You need to come back to the Titan base with me."

"I need to stay here," Kinzie said. Her real thought that there was no way in hell she would go anywhere near the Titans. Reyna was like a caged animal though. "If the Olympians did take Hylla, they will be suspicious if they know that I left the house. How would I know that they were involved, without anyone telling me?"

"I can keep the Olympians off of your back," Kinzie continued. Reyna stared at her for a few moments. "If Zeus sent someone to capture Hylla, why would he do it now? Why would he wait all of this time? I think there is a little more to the story, but I can help you. We can figure this out, together."

"I know you're paranoid," Kinzie said. She was sure that she was being too blunt, but this had to be said. "You need to trust someone though, and I can help you. Hylla and you are like family to me. We have to trust each other."

"You're right," Reyna muttered. She slowly sat back on the couch, and her two dogs curled around her legs. She gently ran her hands through their fur. "I wanted to visit you and Hylla three days ago, but Kronos wanted to enhance my powers first. I didn't wake up until a few hours ago."

"Did it work?" Kinzie asked quietly. Reyna nodded but didn't elaborate. Kinzie looked down and tried to think. She knew that Reyna was able to take someone's powers to use for a limited amount of time, so what would enhanced powers do? "How?"

"Don't worry about it, Kinzie. I have it handled. Just promised me that you won't tell the Olympians that you know Hylla is missing. I need time to figure this out," Reyna said. She looked into Kinzie's eyes.

"I won't tell anyone," Kinzie promised after a moment. She gently grabbed Reyna's arm. "I'm here for you. I promise. Before you go anyway, put the ice back on for a few more minutes to get the swelling down."

"Yes mom," Reyna muttered. Kinzie rolled her eyes and pressed the ice to Reyna's temple. Reyna gently pressed her hand to the ice and then placed ice to her side. Kinzie sat down and looked at her phone. She had no messages from Hylla, but there was a few notifications from her news app. As Kinzie read the words, her heart froze.

"Reyna, do you remember Otrera?" Kinzie asked. Reyna looked at her and shook her head. "She is a reporter, and apparently, she made a report earlier today saying you were alive."

Reyna's eyes shot up, and Kinzie showed her the phone. Reyna studied the phone and nodded slightly. She focused on the ground. Kinzie spoke, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to have a chat with this reporter," Reyna said. She placed the ice on the couch and slowly stood. Reyna petted her two dogs. "You two keep Kinzie safe. I'll be back. I promise."

"Stay safe," Kinzie began. Reyna looked at her and nodded. Then, she suddenly hugged Kinzie tightly. Kinzie hugged Reyna back.

"I will get Hylla back," Reyna promised. She pulled away from Kinzie and met her eyes. "I promise."

"Be safe," Kinzie said. Reyna nodded and turned away. She left the house without another word. Kinzie sat down and took a shaky breath. Reyna was alive, and she was working with the Titans. Hylla was missing, and Reyna seemed to think that Zeus had ordered for her to be captured. Kinzie looked down at her phone and tried to think. She had made a promise, but if it meant finding Hylla and the truth, how quickly would she break it?


	18. Returning the Favor

"Just stay safe and call me if you need anything," Thalia said. She heard the other line hang up, and she sighed tiredly. The last week was the worst of her life. Between Nico's death and the breakout at Tartarus, she didn't know how things could get worse. Well, she knew now, considering Hylla was now missing.

Thalia laid her head back against car and stared at the building in front of her. Everyone had gone home for the night, other than the two janitors. They both started from the bottom floor and worked their way up, so Thalia would have time.

Thalia closed her eyes and sighed. It had only been a few hours since she stopped Hylla from murdering Otrera. The reporter had no right to tease the entire city like that, but at the same time, it didn't give Hylla the right to murder her. They all needed to be focused on the breakout at Tartarus.

Most of them were focused on Tartarus, except for Bianca. She was taking the loss of her little brother hard and kept blaming herself. Any attempt to talk to her had been shut down, even Artemis couldn't seem to get through to her. Thalia knew that Bianca needed time to grieve, but the impending threat was the Titans.

None of the guards at Tartarus knew they had broken out until the van from the prison had left. All of the security footage was deleted, and there was no witnesses. It was almost a little too perfect. Thalia got out of her car and closed the door. She needed answers, and she was going to start with Otrera.

Otrera claimed that she only made up the stories to get views, but that had to be a lie. Otrera was just trying to distract the entire city from something, and that had to be the Titans. Was she working with them? Thalia walked towards the front entrance and flashed the badge that she had borrowed from Piper.

Thalia stepped inside and hurried towards the stairs. Along the way, she saw one of the janitors knocking on a door. He spoke, "Hey Mikey. You still in there? Everything good?"

Mikey didn't answer, and the janitor sighed. He looked at his watch and impatiently stood at the door. Thalia carefully walked out of his sight and made it towards the stairs. She flashed the badge and ran up the stairs. When she made it to the third floor, she flashed the badge a final time and stepped inside.

Thalia thought she saw movement, but she realized it was just a trick of her eyes. She slowly walked towards a desk covered in papers. It also had a large name plate that had Otrera's name on it. Thalia walked towards the desk and quickly read through all of the papers on the desk. It seemed like there was just notes about upcoming stories or rumors.

Thalia opened the desk and rummaged through it. She didn't find anything of interest. Thalia looked at the computer and saw it was off. She also saw a person standing behind her. Thalia felt something cold press against the back of her head. She started to build lightning in her hands.

"Are you as surprised as I was?" a voice asked. Thalia froze and stopped building the lightning. Thalia slowly turned around and stared at the gun that was right in front of her face. She looked past the gun and stared at Reyna. Her ex girlfriend studied her for a few moments.

There was a nasty bruise on Reyna's temple, but there was also a scar on her forehead, right where she had been shot. Thalia spoke, "How?"

"Don't talk," Reyna snapped. She looked at the desk. "Where is the reporter?"

"How?" Thalia repeated. She couldn't believe that Reyna was standing in front of her and alive. Thalia was in shock, but she was knocked right out of her shock as the butt of the gun slammed against her nose. Thalia fell backwards onto the desk, and Reyna pressed the gun against her forehead.

"You tried to kill me, and you failed," Reyna whispered. Her voice practically shook from anger. Thalia closed her eyes. She didn't want Reyna to die. She still regretted choosing her father. "I am going to return the favor, but I will make sure the job is done correctly."

"I'm sorry," Thalia whispered. She opened her eyes. Reyna glared down at her. There was this anger that Thalia had never seen before. "I am so sorry Reyna."

"You're sorry? You shot me in the head, and all you can do is say that you're sorry?" Reyna demanded. Thalia stared at her in confusion. What did Reyna mean? It was true that Thalia had chosen for Reyna to die, but it wasn't like she took the gun and shot Reyna. "It's my turn to pull the trigger."

"I didn't shoot you," Thalia began. The gun slammed into her temple, and she saw stars. Cold steel rested against her head once again. "I didn't shoot you, Reyna! What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what you did," Reyna snapped. Her voice shook in anger. "You betrayed me and shot me in the head. You left me to die, but Mnemosyne saved me. Now, you want to blackmail my family, and your father took Hylla. I am going to use you to get her back."

Thalia blinked rapidly and tried to process all of the information she had just been given. If Reyna's miraculous survival had anything to do with Mnemosyne, Reyna's memory had to be altered. Reyna also seemed to think that Jupiter had something to do with Hylla disappearing, but how did she know that Hylla was gone?

There was a lot of things being thrown at Thalia, but she needed to work through it one step at a time, especially since Reyna seemed like a caged animal. One wrong step would end with Thalia's brain resting all over Otrera's desk. Thalia spoke, "I can prove to you that I didn't shoot you in the head."

"There is a website that belongs to Iris. It has the newscast that shows you being executed by Kronos. I can show you," Thalia began. A hand grabbed her shirt and threw her backwards. Thalia fell back, and Reyna pinned her, pressing the gun against her forehead.

"Shut the hell up," Reyna snapped. Her finger was almost tapping against the trigger, and a heavy weight settled in Thalia's gut. Reyna was not going to believe her. It didn't matter what Thalia said. "Where would you father keep Hylla?"

"I can show you," Thalia answered. Reyna glared down at her for a few moments. Thalia remained silent and just stared at the gun. Reyna was being very hostile, and she had a gun in her hands. She also had the ability to steal Thalia's powers. What the hell was Thalia going to do?

"If you try anything," Reyna began. She smirked and stood. "Get up."

Thalia slowly stood and held her hands above her head. She took a step backwards and turned around. The gun pressed against her spine, and she slowly walked forward.

"I'm sorry for breaking up with you," Thalia began. She tensed as the gun pressed further into the base of her spine, but she wasn't going to stop. Her mind was made up. "I am sorry for how I treated you. I'm sorry that I chose for you to die instead of my father., and I am sorry for this."

Thalia spun to the side and saw Reyna move the gun. Thalia tried to use her lightning but found herself unable to. Since she was expecting that, she was already throwing herself right into Reyna. The two tumbled to the ground, and the gun skidded away.

Thalia was the first to her feet. She watched Reyna roll to her knees and wince in pain. She placed a hand to her side for a half of a second, before she made it to her feet. They both looked at the gun, and both of them made eye contact.

"We can do it the old fashion way," Thalia said. Reyna seemed to debate it, and a small smirk came to her face. She went to punch Thalia in the face. Thalia dodged, and something suddenly slammed directly into her gut.

A wheeze left Thalia, and she doubled over. She saw a baton hanging loosely from Reyna's fingers. It was the same one that she gave Reyna when they went to city hall. Reyna tightened her grip and swung the baton upwards, right towards Thalia's temple.

Thalia knew she was going to get hit by the baton either way, so she slammed her shoulder directly into Reyna's gut. The baton slammed into chest, and they both crashed into a desk. Reyna cried out in pain, and Thalia mounted her. She raised a fist and hesitated. The baton slammed right into her temple. Thalia collapsed to the ground and groaned in pain.

Reyna rolled Thalia onto her back and punched her hard in the face. Thalia's head snapped to the side, and a second punch broke her nose. A third punch caused her to see stars once again, and before the fourth punch could land, she caught Reyna's hand.

In that split second, Thalia knew she could snap Reyna's arm at the elbow, and it would end the fight. Instead, she just tightly gripped Reyna's wrist. Her other hand grabbed the baton, and she swung it at Reyna's head. Reyna caught the baton.

For a few moments, they had a test of strength. Thalia felt herself slowly losing the battle. She couldn't use her lightning, since Reyna was still blocking it with her powers. Thalia slowly clicked the baton on, and she let go of Reyna's other hand. Thalia grabbed the baton with both hands and forced the tip of it into Reyna's arm.

Thalia instantly felt lightning build in her hand, and she threw a wild hand out. Reyna threw herself to the side and scrambled to her feet. Thalia tried to stand, but she stumbled. She barely dodged a fist, and Reyna tripped her.

Before Thalia could fall, a hand grabbed onto her shirt and pulled her into a chokehold. Thalia gasped and looked around. The baton had fallen to the ground, but she couldn't reach it. Reyna had a chokehold locked in tightly, and Thalia was going to pass out unless she moved quickly.

Thalia could slam Reyna back against the wall, but Reyna had been favoring her side earlier. Thalia glanced at the desk near them, and she threw all of her weight to the side. They both slammed into the desk, but Reyna was unlucky enough to hit the sharp edge, and she instantly let go of Thalia. Reyna collapsed gripping her side.

Thalia took the time to catch her breath. Her throat burned, but she couldn't focus on that. Thalia slowly stood and saw that Reyna was curled up on her side. Thalia spoke, "We can talk this over."

"Go to hell," Reyna wheezed. She hit the ground angrily and slowly got to her knees. Thalia cursed angrily and went to slam her knee directly into Reyna's head. At the last second, Reyna dodged, and Thalia hit the desk hard. She cried out in pain and felt her shirt being grabbed.

Thalia blinked and found herself being thrown over Reyna's shoulder. She hit a desk hard and crashed to the ground, along with a monitor and keyboard. Thalia gripped the keyboard and groaned in pain. She felt Reyna grab her shirt and pull her to her knees. Thalia swung the keyboard upwards and hit something solid.

Thalia slammed her shoulder into Reyna and slammed her back into the desk. Reyna cried out in pain. Thalia punched her right across the face and grabbed her shirt. She threw Reyna into the wall and winced at the sound of a nose crunching. Thalia wrapped her arm around Reyna's throat and applied her own chokehold.

"Just listen to me," Thalia snapped. She felt that Reyna had tucked her chin at the beginning of the chokehold, and she also felt that Reyna was slowly prying her arm away. Thalia tried to fight against it, but she felt Reyna spin out of the hold. Before Thalia could react, a fist slammed into her kidneys.

Thalia stumbled and leaned on the desk next to her. She turned and threw lightning at Reyna. It missed by a few inches, and Reyna backed away. She gripped her side. They both looked like they were in pain, and Thalia started to think their fight would turn into a stalemate. She had to end it.

There was a feral, almost desperate look in Reyna's eyes. She fought as if her life was at stake, but Thalia wouldn't do that. Reyna thought Thalia tried to kill her though. How did Reyna survive? What happened after the bridge? Did the Titans really shoot Reyna in the head, just to save her?

"I am going to get Hylla back," Reyna swore. Her eyes moved back towards the gun. Thalia swore, and they both lunged for the gun. Thalia was surprised that she made it to the gun first, until she felt the baton slam into the back of her head.

Thalia collapsed and blacked out for a few moments. When she came to, she was laying on her stomach and had a gun pressed to the back of her head. Reyna spoke, "Tell me where you father took Hylla, or I blow your kneecap out."

Thalia blinked a few times, and she saw the shadows in front of her move. Reyna seemed to notice it to, as she lifted the gun. Reyna spoke, "Who the hell are you?"

Something hit Thalia's back a moment later, and she felt it slide off of her back and hit the ground. Thalia slowly looked back and saw the gun. She slowly turned on her back and looked around. A hooded figure had Reyna trapped in a chokehold. Reyna was trying to fight but was quickly fading.

"Leave her alone," Thalia said. She groaned and got to her knees. Thalia heard a noise behind her, and a black bag was thrown over her head. Thalia tried to fight, but she was still nauseous. Her arms were forced behind her back a moment later, and she was handcuffed. Thalia felt a hand press against her temples, and it didn't take long for her to be pulled into a dreamless sleep.


	19. Ragnarok

As Reyna tried to escape the choke hold, she knew it was a losing fight. The person was much stronger than her, and she was already hurting from fighting Thalia. Reyna watched helplessly as a black bag was thrown over Thalia's head, and she was carried out of the room.

"Two down," a voice said. They were the one holding onto Reyna. After a few, precious seconds of struggling to reach her belt, Reyna's fingers wrapped around her knife. She pulled it out of her waistband and stabbed the person in the thigh. They instantly let go of her.

Reyna stumbled forward and tried to breath. She was lightheaded and not quite sure where she was. Reyna stumbled for where she had left the gun, but someone wrapped both arms around her waist. They turned and threw her to the side like she weighed nothing more than a soccer ball.

Reyna hit the desk jaw first, and she collapsed to the ground in a heap. She placed both hands to her jaw and could instantly feel swelling. A few teeth were spat out a moment later, and Reyna laid her head back in agony.

A face appeared over hers a minute later. Reyna stared up at the hooded woman. She felt the woman gently lower her hands and examine her jaw. The woman spoke, "Sorry about that. You'll get a doctor soon."

Reyna kicked the woman, and she stumbled back in surprise. Reyna struggled to get to her feet, and she grabbed the gun from the ground. She fired three wild shots in the woman's general direction. Then, she turned and fled the room.

Reyna ran straight down the hallway and slammed into the door for the stairs. She ran down the stairs almost tripping multiple times. When she made it to the bottom floor, she slammed into the door once again and ran down the hall.

This night wasn't suppose to be like this. Hylla was missing, taken by three women working for Zeus. Her one chance to find her sister had been stolen from her. Reyna made it outside and stared. She could Thalia was being stuffed into her car. A tall, slender figure looked in Reyna's direction.

Reyna raised the gun with a shaking hand and tried to fire it. When it just clicked, she threw it to the ground and turned to run. A fist uppercutted her jaw, and everything went dark. When Reyna came to, she was laying on her back and staring up at the stars.

A glance to her right showed that a car was turning a corner, so it seemed like only a few seconds had passed. Reyna blinked a few times and heard sirens in the distance. She laid her head back and debated just laying there on the ground. It wouldn't be long before she was found out anyway. Her blood, and a few of her teeth, were back in the office. The Olympians would have proof she was alive.

Reyna slowly sat up and placed both hands to her jaw. Blood was trickling out of her mouth, and she could feel how swollen it was. Reyna slowly got to her feet and stumbled. Between the fight with the three old ladies and those hooded figures, she was completely exhausted. She had to get moving though.

Reyna walked through the night. Her ribs ached with each step, and pain constantly ran through her jaw. Reyna cradled her side and came to a stop. She stepped into an alley and sat down. Reyna closed her eyes painfully and laid her head against he wall.

After a few minutes of relaxing, Reyna forced her eyes opened. She pressed her fist into the ground and slowly got to her feet. When she got back to the Titan base, she could collapse into her bed. As she walked, her eyes stayed focused on the ground, but her mind was racing.

Thalia said that Kronos was the one who shot Reyna, and that there was proof. That had to be a lie though. It had to be. Reyna shook her head and tried to change her thoughts to something else. Instead, all she could think about was the possibility that Thalia could be telling the truth.

Thalia tried to kill her though. This was part of all of the mind games. Thalia was trying to distract Reyna, since she knew Reyna was coming to get her. But, what if? What if Thalia was telling the truth?

The entire walk back to the Titan base was filled with Reyna torturing herself with thoughts of Thalia and if she was telling the truth. There was a time that Reyna knew she loved Thalia. It all ended when Thalia betrayed her and shot her in the head. According to Thalia, the truth was on Iris' website.

Her thoughts moved to the fact that Thalia had been kidnapped as well. It wasn't the Titans, since they would have told Reyna. It couldn't be Zeus, so who was it? Who kidnapped Thalia? Did they have something to do with Hylla being kidnapped?

An angry sigh escaped Reyna. Her jaw ached and caused her entire head to throb. She just needed to get checked out and get some rest. Reyna wanted to shut all of her thoughts down. Part of her debated just finding a nice alley to curl up in. Instead, she kept walking until she made it to the Titan base.

Reyna stepped inside and pushed the door open. She cradled her jaw and heard the distinct sounds of yelling. Reyna walked a little further into the base and saw that Kronos and Mnemosyne were having a screaming match.

"She makes you too emotional," Mnemosyne yelled. She slammed her fist into the table. "We all warned you about this! She disappeared because she is going to sell you out once again."

"I wish they would stop arguing," Tethys muttered. She was leaning against Oceanus' back and rubbing his shoulders. Reyna started to walk past them. "What happened to you?"

"Hylla wasn't too happy to see me," Reyna lied. Her jaw hurt to move. She glanced back at Tethys and wanted to elaborate on her lie. Instead, she walked towards the kitchen and grabbed two bags of ice. Reyna walked towards her room and left behind the sounds of Kronos and Mnemosyne arguing about Rhea.

As Reyna made it towards her room, she stopped outside of Tethys' room and glanced around. No one was looking at her. She stepped into the room and grabbed the laptop that was on the bedside table. Reyna left the room and then walked to her own room.

As Reyna made it inside, she closed her door and collapsed onto her bed. It sent more pain shooting through her body, and she groaned in pain. Reyna pressed one of the ice packs against her ribs and rested her jaw against the other one. She opened the laptop.

The laptop was password protected, but considering the only thing Tethys could talk about was her husband, Reyna tried that first. The laptop unlocked, and Reyna pulled up a tab for the internet. She went to Iris' website and stared at it.

The homepage showed a news report on the breakout at Tartarus. Reyna studied the page and looked at the search bar in the top left of the screen. She studied the rest of the page and closed her eyes. What was she doing? Why was she letting Thalia get into her head?

"Praetor," Reyna muttered, as she typed it into the search bar. Dozens of results appeared, and it only took a few moments for Reyna to find the video that she was looking. "Praetor's death. If Thalia shot me, why was it recorded?"

Reyna slowly clicked on the video and watched it in its entirety. She watched Kronos hold a gun to her forehead and taunt Thalia. She watched Kronos force Thalia to make her choice, and she winced as the gun was fired into her own head. Reyna looked away and swallowed painfully. She couldn't remember this happening, but there was video proof of it.

Reyna slowly looked back at the video and watched Kronos kick her into the ocean. She stopped the video and started it from the beginning. Reyna watched the video over and over again, until the anger that was boiling beneath her chest threatened to break out to the surface.

Kronos had shot her in the head, and the Titans lied to her about it. They made Reyna believe that she had been killed by her girlfriend. Or, was the video fake? Was it all a fabrication? Reyna dropped the laptop and placed both hands to her face. She couldn't remember. Why couldn't she remember?

Reyna stood and slammed her fist into the bedside table. There was one person who could tell her the truth. It was the same person who told her that they could bring back her memories. Reyna turned and left the room. As she left, she almost ran into Tethys.

"Hey, you okay?" Tethys asked. Reyna shook her head and shoved past the Titan. Tethys didn't stop her, and Reyna didn't look back. She just hurried back to the living room. Kronos was gone, and Mnemosyne was sitting at the kitchen table.

"We need to talk," Reyna muttered. Mnemosyne looked up at her and nodded. She stood, and Reyna led her out of the base. She walked across the street and headed towards the alley. Mnemosyne followed her in silence. Most of the Titans were out, preparing for the next step of the plan.

"You have your suspicions about Rhea too?" Mnemosyne asked. Reyna remained silent and walked towards a trash bin. She grabbed the metal pipe that was behind it. Then, she turned and slammed the pipe into Mnemosyne's skull. The Titan collapsed, and Reyna felt a sick sense of satisfaction. She threw the pipe down and pinned Mnemosyne.

Reyna peeled off her glove and placed her hand to Mnemosyne's temple. She spoke, "You are going to show me who really shot me in the head."

Reyna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had not practiced using her powers on Mnemosyne, but it seemed simple enough. Reyna felt flashes of memories that weren't her own, and she slowly focused on one. She could see the view of someone on a swing set. Reyna tensed and let go of the memory. She tried to focus on the other flashes.

Her focus was suddenly broken, and she was pulled to her feet. An arm wrap around her neck, but it wasn't tight enough to choke her. Reyna tried to fight, but she was dragged a few feet backwards. She scratched at her attacker's arm.

"She knows," Mnemosyne said. She slowly stood and grabbed the metal pipe. Mnemosyne grinned. "Kronos said that we couldn't put our hands on you, but I think we'll call this self defense."

Reyna kicked at Mnemosyne, but she felt the arm around her neck tighten, and she couldn't breath. Reyna tried to desperately fight and kick at them. She was lifted off of her feet and thrown directly into the side of the trash bin.

A cry of pain escaped Reyna, and Mnemosyne pinned her. Mnemosyne grabbed her jaw tightly and examined it. The Titan spoke, "Did Thalia manage to turn you? No matter. I'll just take your memory again."

"Kronos shot me in the head," Reyna said through gritted teeth. Mnemosyne smiled. "You were using me."

"Don't sound so upset. It's hard to know the truth when you can't trust your own memory," Mnemosyne taunted. She grabbed Reyna's forehead and pressed her fingers against Reyna's temples. Reyna tried to lash out, but Tethys grabbed her arms and held them against the ground.

A darkness suddenly filled the clearing. Reyna couldn't see anything, and she started to panic. The grip on her wrist disappeared, and the weight on her chest did as well. The darkness disappeared, and Reyna could see once again. She quickly sat up and looked around.

Tethys was laying unconscious in the alleyway. Mnemosyne was being held against the wall by a large man. Reyna had seen him before, in the last cell of Tartarus that she had opened. Reyna slowly stood and tried to leave the clearing. She saw another man blocking the way. He was the same lawyer that she had seen on television.

"Calm," the lawyer said. Reyna backed up and hit the trash bin. Her foot hit the metal pipe. She picked it up from the ground and swung at the lawyer. He caught it and twisted it out of her hands. He easily slipped around Reyna and grabbed her shoulders. Instead of hurting her, he gripped her shoulders. "Our quarrel is not with you, Reyna."

"How do you know my name?" Reyna demanded. She looked around. Mnemosyne was staring at her with horrified eyes. The man from Tartarus, Hades, slowly looked at Reyna. His dark eyes held no emotion.

"We suspected that you were alive, and we suspected that the Titans were using you," Hades answered. "You freed me from my cell in Tartarus, so I will free you from your brainwashing."

"What the hell do you want?" Reyna demanded. The grip on her shoulders disappeared. Hades smiled coldly.

"I want an end to the heroes," Hades said. He looked at Mnemosyne. "I want revenge for the death of my son. Nico did not deserve to die."

"Wait," Reyna interrupted. She stared at Hades. "Nico? He can't be dead."

"Mnemosyne killed him," the lawyer said. Reyna stared up at the Titan. Mnemosyne didn't say a word. "Reyna, come with us. You will be safe, and we can treat your injuries."

Reyna shook her head and looked around the alleyway. She wanted to run. It wouldn't be too hard to make it towards the Titan base, but could she trust them? Hades studied her eyes, and he spoke, "We have your sister."

Reyna stared at Hades. He nodded once and spoke, "I did not mean for you to be harmed during any of this. Hylla was suppose be taken without a fight. Thalia was as well. It was unfortunate that you were caught in the middle."

"You took Hylla and Thalia? Why?" Reyna asked. She glanced back at the lawyer.

"I wanted Hylla to be safe," Hades answered. He was relaxed, but his eyes stayed focused on Tethys. Reyna glanced back at the base. Kronos seemed to have left after his argument with Mnemosyne, so only Hyperion and Oceanus were inside. "We have another use for Thalia. If you come with us, you will be safe."

"Safe from what?" Reyna questioned. She studied Hades and tried to focus. Pain and exhaustion was making it harder. "What are you trying to keep me and Hylla safe from?"

Hades looked at Mnemosyne and grabbed her face tightly. He spoke, "The end of the Titans and the end of the Olympians. Those who have abused their powers for years will finally meet their end. When I am done, there will be no more villains, and there will be no more heroes."


	20. The Last of Us

As Bianca's eyes drifted open, a small groan escaped her. She slowly rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes felt irritated from crying, and her throat was dry. Bianca could not get over the fact that Nico was dead. She kept expecting to see him walk into her room at any moment, with a Happy Meal for both of them.

Why had she pushed him away so much? Why didn't she spend more time with him? Bianca just wanted to be her own person. She didn't want to be known as Nico's older sister, but this wasn't how she wanted to become her own person. Why did her brother had to die?

The Olympians weren't even searching for Mnemosyne. They were more concerned about the Titan's breaking out of Tartarus for a second time. Why were the Titans put back in Tartarus in the first place? There should have been more steps taken to assure that the Titans were properly locked away, or there should have been harsher consequences.

Bianca reached out for her stuffed animal, a small thing that her mother had given her. When she didn't feel it, she slowly looked around. Bianca stared at the empty walls of the room, and she tensed. Where was she? Bianca quickly sat up and looked down at herself.

Bianca was wearing the same outfit as when she had gone to bed. She had fallen asleep crying in Kore's arms. Her step mother had been checking up on her a few times a day, even though they weren't that close. The door at the far side of the room opened, and Bianca tensed. A man stepped into the room.

The breath left Bianca, and all she could do was stare at her father. Pluto watched her with kind eyes. He walked towards Bianca and slowly sat on the bed. Bianca just stared. The last memory she had of her father was him being hauled away in handcuffs. Bianca had not spoken to her father since that day.

Over the last ten years, Bianca wasn't sure how she felt about her father. She was just a young kid when he left, but she knew enough to understand that her father had done very evil things. Bianca looked down. The topic of her father was something that she also did her best to avoid, but there was no avoiding this.

As Bianca looked at her father now, all she could see was Nico. Tears filled her eyes, and Pluto slowly held out a hand. Bianca practically threw herself into her father's arms and cried miserably. Pluto hugged her tightly, as if he was afraid of letting her go and losing her as well.

"I miss him so much," Bianca cried. She buried her face in Pluto's shoulder. "It's all my fault. He saved my life."

"It is not your fault," Pluto whispered. He held her close and just rubbed her back. Despite the fact that they had not seen each other in a decade, Bianca felt comforted. She always heard the terrible things about her father, but she also heard about his loyalty. He loved his friends and children with all of his heart and would do anything for them.

"Mnemosyne set the trap, and you were led into it," Pluto whispered. He continued to rub Bianca's back. "She is paying for her crimes."

"The Olympians found her?" Bianca asked. Pluto didn't reply. Bianca blinked a few times and looked down. She slowly looked around the room again. Then, she looked back at her father. He wasn't wearing any handcuffs, but she heard that he always wore them in the prison. "Did the Olympians let you see me?"

"No," Pluto replied. Bianca pulled away and looked up at her father. She did her best to wipe her eyes and stop crying. "When the Titans escaped from Tartarus, I was let out as well. I was given another opportunity to fix my mistakes, and I will not let my second chance go to waste."

"Father, you have to turn yourself in," Bianca said. She pulled away from her father and quickly backed away. "I don't want them to hurt you."

"Bianca, I love you, but I have to do this," Pluto said. He closed his eyes. "When we first defeated the Titans, we had the choice of what we wanted to do with them. The majority agreed to spare them and put them into prison, despite the crimes they committed. They terrorized this place for a year. No one was spared from the horrors, and we just locked the monsters away."

"We did not know it at the time, but we created a trend," Pluto continued. He shook his head. "We showed mercy to villains. As more people discovered their powers, they turned to crime because there was no consequences. We showed everyone that we will tolerate monsters, and how many people have suffered for it?"

"You wanted to kill twelve people," Bianca said. Pluto looked at her nodded. "How can you justify that?"

"What if we had killed the Titans?" Pluto asked. He looked Bianca directly in the eyes. "Nico would be alive. Praetor would not have been shot in the head. Those who worked at city hall that were killed in the attack by the Titans would be alive. How many people died over all of these years, because the Olympians showed mercy to scum?"

Bianca remained silent and looked down. She couldn't imagine killing anyone. Pluto took a deep breath and grabbed her shoulder once again. He pulled her into a gently hug and spoke, "I will do what I must, Bianca."

"What if I disagree with you?" Bianca asked. She tried to pull away and expected for him to hold onto her. Instead he let her go. "What are you going to do if I tell you no?"

"Keep you here and safe from harm," Pluto answered. "If you are not comfortable with helping me, I will not force you too. The only thing that matters to me is making sure you are safe."

"What is your plan?" Bianca asked. Pluto remained silent and looked away. "Father."

"I will do what I have to do, Bianca. If I tell you and you disagree, it will only eat away at you," Pluto said.

"How can I agree to something that I don't even know about?" Bianca asked. Pluto looked down and nodded. "That isn't fair."

"It's not," Pluto agreed. He sighed and looked back at Bianca. Pluto looked her directly in the eyes. "I am going to kill the Olympians and Titans. Their children, your friends, will be sparred. I will not harm those that are innocent."

"I can't agree to killing anyone," Bianca said. Pluto nodded in understanding. He stood and started to walk out of the room. "Father. You said Mnemosyne is paying for her mistakes. What are you doing to her?"

"Bad things," Pluto answered. He opened the door of the room. Bianca stood. Pluto looked back at her, and after a few moments, he stood to the side. Bianca slowly walked out of the room, and the two of them started to walk.

As they walked in silence, Bianca looked at her surroundings. They were in a hallway that had a few doors lining each side. Some of the door were barely hanging onto the hinges, and a glance past those doors showed the same room that she had been in. Bianca turned a corner and stepped through a door.

Bianca stared at the large room she was in. Cells lined one side of the wall, and opposite that, there was chairs bolted to the ground. Those old chairs were covered in something that was a dark red: blood. Bianca spoke, "What did you do?"

"This place belonged to Mars," Pluto explained. He placed a gently, comforting hand to Bianca's back. "He hasn't been here in a few years, but this is where he took the criminals that he did not have enough evidence to convict. Mars would a confession from them, or they would perish."

"Why would Mars do that?" Bianca asked. As they walked past the cells. Bianca saw a woman sitting in the one of them. She stopped walking and stared. The woman was sitting at the far corner of the cell and had a hood over her head. She didn't look up.

"Her name is Rhea," Pluto said. Upon hearing her name, Rhea looked up at them. "She is the most innocent of the Titans, but she is still one of them. Her loyalty to her husband binds her to his guilt."

"How does her loyalty make her guilty?" Bianca asked. She turned towards her father. "Did she ever try to kill anyone?"

"Not that I know of," Pluto admitted. He studied Rhea. "I do not plan to harm her, yet. She is a valuable tool to me."

Pluto started to walk again. Bianca only made it a few cells forward, and when she saw the person inside, her heart dropped. She stopped walking and stared at person inside. Thalia was laying on her side. Her hands were cuffed together, and she looked like she was asleep.

"What did you do to Thalia?" Bianca demanded. She turned towards her father once again. Bianca would not allow her friends to be hurt.

"I did nothing to her, and I do not plan on doing anything. Any injuries are from her earlier fight," Pluto explained. He studied the cell. "I just want her father."

Bianca just stared at Thalia. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Pluto started to walk again, but Bianca didn't follow. She heard the jingling of keys, and Pluto opened a cell. Bianca slowly looked at him.

"Your sister is waiting for you," Pluto said, and he backed away. After a few moments, a woman stepped out of the cell. Her dark eyes focused on Pluto. Golden handcuffs were around her wrist as well. "Are you hurt, Hylla?"

"You said my sister is waiting for me. Where is she?" Hylla demanded. Pluto turned his head and started to walk. Hylla glanced back at Bianca and studied her for a few moments. Then, she turned and followed Pluto. Bianca stared at Hylla. She had met Hylla a few times before, and she also knew that Hylla had lost her sister.

But, Pluto just said that Hylla's sister was waiting for her. Bianca hurried after her father. They made it out of the cell area and into another hallway. Pluto stopped at one of the door and turned towards Hylla. He held up a key.

After a few moments, Hylla lifted her hands, and Pluto took off the handcuffs. He glanced to the door next to him, and Hylla slowly pushed the door open. She rushed into the room. Bianca slowly stepped inside.

Hylla had someone else pulled into a tight hug. Bianca stopped walking and stared at Reyna. Other than the bruises on her face, she looked just like the last time Bianca had seen her. It had been seven months ago, when Reyna had stopped by their house to work on a project with Nico. Reyna was dead though. How was she here?

"How is she alive?" Bianca whispered. She watched Hylla gently grab Reyna's face and examine her bruises. Hylla kissed Reyna's forehead and pulled her into another hug. "I heard she was shot in the head."

"She was," Pluto confirmed. "Kronos shot her in the head and then saved her life. I do not know the full details yet, as the girl needs some rest. I do know that the bullet messed with her memory and may have torn it away. Mnemosyne gave it back, after twisting it to fit the narrative of the Titans."

"Why would they do that?" Bianca asked. She stared at the two sisters. What if Mnemosyne had been trying to do that with Nico? As Bianca thought about it, she felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't even begin to imagine how it would feel for her own family to turn against her.

"They are monsters," Pluto replied. He looked at Bianca. "This world has suffered under their darkness for too long. I am going to handle them, and I want my daughter by my side. If you do not want to fight with me, I will keep you where you are safe."

"As a prisoner?" Bianca asked. She crossed her arms and looked around. There was no way she could hurt any of the Olympians or her friends, but the Titans were a much different story. They were the reason that Nico was dead. They were monsters and villains, and they needed to pay for their crimes.

"If that is what keeps you safe," Pluto replied. He closed his eyes. "All I ever wanted to do was keep my family safe, and I have failed more than once. I will not lose you too. We are the last of our family."

"What about Hazel? She's your daughter," Bianca said.

"Hazel knows my name and nothing more about it me. Her mother and I had a night of passion, fueled by grief. I never did learn that I had another daughter, until her mother passed and I was presented with a letter telling me that Hazel needed a place to live," Pluto explained. "I will keep her safe though, but it was impossible to get to her and bring her here."

"I will work with you," Bianca finally decided. Pluto opened his eyes and looked at Bianca. "I don't want to hurt the Olympians, but the Titans are the reason that my brother died. They deserve to suffer. Just tell me what I need to do."


	21. An Evil Man

Pluto was not an evil man. He was someone who cared about his family and friends and would do anything to protect them. Not everyone wanted to be protected though. Some of them were evil and abused their power, just like his super powered family had.

Pluto closed his eyes tightly. The twelve great heroes that had once saved Olympians Plains were going to be the ones who destroyed it. He could not allow that. Pluto took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He stared in the mirror.

His eyes had dark circles under them, from lack of sleep. The night before was spent planning their next few steps, and so far, they had been successful. Thalia Grace was captured, mostly unharmed. Hylla had been taken from her home. It aggravated him that the younger sister, Reyna, had her side used as a drum by Tisiphone, but he knew what to expect when he sent the three of them after the girl. They were violent, but they were effective.

Kore was able to get Bianca there safely, but his only regret was that he had no way to get near Hazel. She spent the night with her boyfriend, and if you asked Pluto, she was much too young to have a boyfriend. Pluto would have to question the boy once he captured him.

"Pluto," a voice said. After a moment, Pluto turned towards Kore, and she hugged him tightly. He hugged her back and then pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Even with his decade in Tartarus, Kore had not left his side. She visited sporadically, under his orders. He did not want the Olympians to do anything to her, in order to hurt him. "I missed you so much."

"There was not a day that went by when I did not think about you," Pluto whispered. He kissed her once again. Ever since he was let out of Tartarus, there was no time for a proper reunion. All he wanted to do was take Kore to his room and make up for all of those lost years, but they had a job to do.

"A hour did not pass without thought of you," Kore answered. She reluctantly let go of Pluto. "I found Bianca some clothes, and she is in the infirmary with the sisters."

"Gather everyone else. We will discuss our plan," Pluto whispered. Kore nodded and kissed him one more time. She finally walked away. Pluto watched her go, and a small smile came to his face. After the death of his beloved Maria Di Angelo, he was lost for years. Nico had only been two years old, and Bianca had only been six. It was a surprise they even remembered their mother.

Trying to run his company and watch two kids took a heavy toll. He had plenty of flings over those years, trying to fill the void in his heart. It only produced him another child, one he never got to properly know. It wasn't until he met Kore that he started to feel like things could actually get better.

Kore was a brilliant girl, but she was shackled by her parents. Her father was long gone, and her mother insisted on keeping her at the farm. Pluto only went to the farm because he wanted their land for a new project. Kore's mother had promptly chased him off the farm with a tractor, and when he returned, Kore had almost done the same. Pluto suggested talking about the offer over some drinks, and the rest was pure bliss.

Pluto sighed and looked back at the mirror. There was no more time to dwell on the past. He needed to focus on the future. They had a very important task ahead of them, and it was time for him to correct his mistake. Pluto turned and left the room. He made it to the small room that they used as their infirmary.

Pluto stepped into the infirmary and looked around. Bianca was sitting in the corner of the room and nibbling on a sandwich. Her gaze was focused on the two sisters. As Pluto looked at them, a small smile almost came to his face.

Hylla was sitting on a bed, and she had Reyna's head on her lap. One of Hylla's hands pressed ice to Reyna's lower jaw, and the other hand ran through Reyna's hair. Upon hearing the door open, Hylla looked up and studied Pluto.

In Tartarus, Pluto heard plenty of things that the guard had to say about the villain Amazon. The woman used her enhanced strength to hurt criminals badly, and Pluto could understand the sentiment. If someone broke an arm while committing a crime, they would be less likely to commit another one. The woman still abused her powers though.

Pluto was going to handle the so called heroes and villains that could not control their powers. That is why Pluto had his friends vow to never use their powers again unless it was a matter of life and death, or he was able to make it out of prison. If his own friends could not control their powers, who were they to decide who lived or died based on that very criteria?

Letus had broken his vow, but since a deranged teenager held a gun at him, Pluto found it acceptable. Hecate broke her vow as well, but it was to protect a young girl outside of a bar in a very rough area of town. The others, including the three Kind triplets, held true to their word.

Hylla's head would not be on the chopping block though, not this time. Pluto would respect Nico's word that Hylla should not have to suffer anymore. The woman would need to prove her self control though. If she stepped out of line again, Pluto would handle her.

A small cry of pain escaped Reyna, and Pluto looked at the girl. Hecate had one hand to the girl's side and an apologetic look on her face. Pluto spoke, "How is she doing?"

"Her jaw is a mess, and she might have a minor concussion. That is my fault, I am sorry," Hecate said. She pointed to the nasty bruise on Reyna's side. "One rib is a flick away from being broken. I'm not a dentist either, but I would rather get her teeth out of my pocket."

"I would like my teeth back too," Reyna whispered. It sounded like the painkillers had kicked in, and she seemed out of it. Questioning the girl seemed cruel, but Pluto needed answers. He walked towards her.

"Do you know why they did this to her?" Hylla asked. Pluto slowly looked at her and shook his head. He did not think that he could get into the head of the monster.

"Enhance powers," Reyna whispered. She blinked a few times and focused up on Hylla. "Kronos thought I could take away powers permanently, if he gave me some kind of material that was locked in a briefcase. I used the material a few days ago. Never got a chance to test if it actually worked.

A frown came to Pluto's face. He knew exactly what Reyna was talking about. After the nuclear plant incident, the government had sent teams to gather the nuclear material from ground zero, and they tested some of it to figure out exactly how people got powers from it. When the Olympians really came into power, there was still pieces of that material left. Pluto, Jupiter, and Neptune each used a piece of themselves, and their powers became much more stronger. Would it work the same for this teenager though?

"It was suppose to be locked away under city hall," Pluto commented. Hylla tensed. "But, the Titans broke into city hall, didn't they? The Titans put on a whole show, just to steal the material. Then, they made it look like they killed Reyna, so they would have time to enhance her powers and also manipulate her memory."

"I don't remember anything about city hall," Reyna said. She stared at the ground and winced as Hecate lowered her shirt. "I don't remember anything for the five months before waking up at the Titan base. I tried to get my answers from Mnemosyne, but Tethys stopped me."

Pluto remained silent and heard the door open. The rest of his friend filed in. Kore moved to his side and stood by him. Letus walked towards Hecate's side. The three Kind triplets followed behind him and stood in the corner of the room. Charon took up the rear and stood a few feet behind Pluto.

"Now that we are all here, we can discuss our next step," Pluto said. He looked around the room. "My friends here have been keeping an eye on this city, until it was time to fix the mistakes of the past. We allowed the Titans to live when we first defeated them, and that was our mistake. They have hurt so many people, and it is time for them to pay for their mistakes."

"The Kind sisters kept an eye on all of the super powered teenagers in the high school, and Charon kept an eye on my own children. Kore spoke to the so called heroes about their trauma, and Letus worked on making sure the structure of my company stated the same, so there would not be anymore instability in our humble hometown," Pluto continued. He looked at Reyna. "We did not realize you were keeping an eye on your sister, until Hecate and Letus thought you might not be dead. A rather useless camera outside of Kore's building caught you standing in an alley and keeping an eye on your sister."

"I just wanted her to be safe, but the Titans kept telling me I could not talk to her yet," Reyna whispered. "What are you going to do?"

"I am going to kill the heroes and villains," Pluto stated. Hylla stared up at him, and Reyna's eyes moved to the ground. "The Olympians have abused their powers for too long and kept the city named after them under their thumb. The Titans are monsters; we all know that. Any of the teenage heroes will be spared though. It is not their fault they were taught terribly."

"I want to work with the two of you, but I have heard about your reputation. I know what your ideals are, but I am willing to forgive you, once. After we finish this, the two of you must promise to not use your powers unless it is life or death. My friends have taken this vow as well," Pluto stated.

"If we don't agree to work with you, are you going to kill us?" Hylla asked. There was a dangerous look in her eyes. If she thought her sister was going to die, she would jump in front of the bullet and take out as many people as she could. Hylla wouldn't be able to do anything against them, but she didn't need to.

"Normally, I would have already killed you. Simply put, you are an adult who has made your own ideals, but Nico said that you do not deserve to suffer anymore. I will respect his wishes, for now. If you two do not want to work with me, you will stay here. We will do our job and then let you go. If you use your powers after that, you can guess what happens," Pluto answered.

"I want to help," Reyna said. She slowly sat up and placed a hand to her side. "The Titans manipulated me and took away my memory. I want to make them pay."

"I'll help too," Hylla said, and she pulled Reyna close. "What do we need to do?"

"Rest for tonight," Pluto answered. "Spend time with each other and make up for lost time. We will prepare for the next steps. The Titans will know that something is wrong, with three of their numbers and Reyna missing. We must move on them soon, but we will take out Kronos first."

"How?" Bianca asked quietly. Pluto looked back at his daughter.

"That is why I kidnapped Rhea, to draw him out," Pluto said. A look came to Bianca's face, and she closed her eyes.

"Is that why you kidnapped Thalia? You wanted to draw Jupiter out?" Bianca asked. Pluto did not say a word, but he knew it was answer enough. Bianca took a shaky breath and turned away from him.

"The three of you rest tonight, and we will worry about the Titans tomorrow," Pluto said. Bianca still didn't look at him. Did she think her father was a monster? Hylla just nodded and rubbed Reyna's back. There was a look of fierce determination on Hylla's face. She would go to the ends of the earth to protect her sister. Pluto looked at his friends. "You all know the plan. It is time to prepare. Alecto, come with me."

The eldest Kind triplet, by a total of three minutes, followed behind Pluto. The two of them left the infirmary. As they walked, Pluto reached into his pocket and pulled out his mask. The last time he used it was many years ago, when he decided that villains should no longer walk around without consequences. Pluto put the mask on.

"Was she screaming too loud?" Alecto asked. She seemed to pull a bloody knife out of mid air and cleaned it. A small smile came to Pluto's face. They stepped into another room, and Pluto slowly looked around.

At the far end of the room, Mnemosyne was hanging by her wrists. There was cuts all over her body, and while it wasn't enough for her to bleed out, it was enough for every single movement to cause pain to ripple through her body. Pluto wanted to do so much more, to avenge his son. They did not have the time though.

The other woman in the room, Tethys, stared at them. Her eyes focused on Pluto's mask. Pluto knew that the pitch black mask had been associated with death more than once. The name Hades was synonymous with darkness. There was small cuts and bruises on Tethys face, from where one of the Kind triplets had forced Tethys to watch the thousand cuts.

"What is going to happen is very simple," Pluto said. He could feel the way that the words practically left his throat in a growl. It was Hades' signature voice. Pluto walked towards Mnemosyne and grabbed her jaw tightly. "You destroyed Reyna's memory and caused her to doubt everything. You murdered my son. What other sins have you committed through the years? But, I do not want you to answer me. I am not the person you are going to have to explain your actions to."

Pluto felt a tug in his gut, and it felt like a chill shot through his heart. Mnemosyne gasped and choked on air. Then, she went limp, as her heart stopped. Pluto stepped away from the woman and released her from her chains. She collapsed to the ground. Pluto spoke, "That is the first Titan to die, Tethys. Tell me everything you know, and you will join her."

"And I will join her? Why would I tell you anything?" Tethys asked. Despite how confident she was trying to sound, her voice was shaking.

"If you do not tell me everything, what Alecto did to your friend is only a fraction of what is going to happen to you," Pluto said. He turned around and started to walk towards the door. "And, I will torture your husband before I kill him."

"You're a monster!" Tethys yelled. Pluto frowned and left the room. He took off his mask and stared down at it. Without the mask, he was a simple businessman who wanted to protect his family. With the mask, he was the infamous villain Hades, and the last anyone had ever seen of the mask was when Hades was put on trial, as he took the fall for all of the heinous things he and his friends had done. After a moment, he put the mask back on. Pluto was not an evil man, but Hades, he was a very evil man indeed.


	22. Brother Against Brother

As the car came to a stop, Jupiter stared down at his phone. It was only a hour ago that he received a text from Thalia with an address and a single word: come. Jupiter tried to call, but he received no response. Any text back was just ignored, and his emotions swung like a pendulum. For one moment, he would be annoyed at Thalia. In the next, he would be worried about his daughter.

They spent the whole day before investigating the scene at Venus' news station. The security camera had been wiped, and someone cleaned up most of the blood. There was nothing to be done about the destroyed equipment, and it looked like two people had gone to war. Jupiter didn't know if Thalia was one of them, but since she was missing, he had a good feeling that she was.

"Any word?" Neptune asked. Jupiter slowly looked at him and shook his head. "I'm sure Thalia is safe. She probably followed a lead and didn't charge her phone."

"I can't take that chance," Jupiter stated. He studied the parking lot that they sat in. There was warehouses all around them and one single, standing office building. Jupiter knew this area well though. It use to be full of office buildings, but they were all bought out by the remaining office building. That building belonged to Pluto.

"The Titans have escaped Tartarus once again, and Pluto is missing as well. I cannot allow my daughter to be caught up in this. It was never suppose to be this way," Jupiter said. His eyes focused on the car in front of the office building: Thalia's car.

Jupiter opened the car door and stepped outside. He started to rush towards Thalia's car, but his eyes swept around. There was no one hiding in the shadows or on the rooftops. Thalia seemed like she was inside, but it all could have been a trap. Neptune followed behind Jupiter but left some space between them.

As Jupiter made it to the car, he heard a faint thumping noise, like someone was kicking the inside of the trunk. Jupiter grabbed his key ring and quickly found his copy of Thalia's car key. He slipped it in the car trunk and stepped to the side. Neptune nodded and grabbed his gun at his side. He aimed it at the trunk, and Jupiter opened the trunk.

Neptune instantly lowered his gun, and Jupiter stared down at the figure in the trunk. They wore a black jacket and had a black bag over their head. Their hands were tied behind their back, but he couldn't tell if it was Thalia or not. Neptune turned around and spoke, "I have your back."

Jupiter nodded and pulled the black bag off of the person's head. He stared down at the young girl. If it wasn't for the fact that he had watched her die in front of him, he wouldn't have recognized her. Jupiter spoke, "Reyna?"

The girl nodded. Tape was over her mouth, and her eyes were wide. There was a small bruises around her nose and temple. Jupiter spoke, "Did Thalia do this?"

Reyna shook her head, and her eyes moved over to the left. Jupiter followed the gaze and found himself staring at one of the warehouses. He pulled out his knife and cut the rope around the girl's wrists. How was Reyna alive? Jupiter saw the bullet enter and leave her skull. She had collapsed immediately and was dead.

Reyna slowly removed the tape from her mouth and winced in pain. With Neptune's help, Jupiter pulled Reyna out of the car. She stumbled and she gripped his arm tightly. Jupiter spoke, "Who did this to you?"

"You did," a voice answered. Jupiter quickly turned around and stood in front of Reyna. Neptune had turned as well and was aiming a gun at the person. Pluto studied them with cold eyes. He wore the mask that identified him as the monster Hades, but the rest of his outfit was different. There was no longer black ropes that seemed to flow around his body.

Instead, Pluto wore a bullet proof vest and a kevlar long sleeve shirt underneath. His black camouflage pants were the same that his security force wore. A gun was on his hip, but he made no move to grab it. In fact, he made no moves at all. All he did was stare at Jupiter.

"What are you doing here?" Jupiter demanded. Pluto nodded once, and something cold pressed against Jupiter's spine. He slowly turned his head and stared back at Reyna. The girl had a cold look in her eyes, and she held onto a gun that pressed into his spine.. "Was this all your plan, Pluto? Are you working with the Titans."

Neptune moved his gun to aim at Reyna, but Jupiter shook his head. Neptune seemed to understand and pointed the gun back at Pluto. Jupiter thought of lightning and slowly turned his hand towards the girl. He expected lightning to crackle and shoot out of his hand. Instead, nothing happened. His eyes widened as he remembered that Reyna could temporarily block someone's powers.

Neptune's eyes shot between Pluto and Jupiter. For once, he seemed to be restrained and in control of himself. Jupiter turned to look at Neptune, and something bright shined into his eye for a moment. He tried to trail the brightness but realized it was above him. A gun fired, and Jupiter tensed. He felt no pain, but he saw Neptune collapse a moment later.

Jupiter didn't care about the gun pressed to his back. He rushed to Neptune's side and stared down at him. There was a bullet hole right in the middle of Neptune's forehead. His lifeless eyes stared up at Jupiter. The only thing Jupiter could do was stare down at his brother.

A primal scream of anger left Jupiter, and he stood. He tried to summon lightning, but nothing happened. Jupiter charged at Pluto, but Pluto simply stepped to the side. Jupiter stumbled and turned. A fist slammed directly into his throat.

"Stop fighting," Pluto ordered. He pinned Jupiter to the ground. All Jupiter could do was stare up at his oldest brother. The three of them never knew their parents. They had grown up their entire lives in an orphanage and were always able to count on each other, until they split apart when they grew older. They would all meet back at Olympian Plains years later, and they would get their powers. Now, they were no longer a family.

"You killed him," Jupiter snapped. He tried to fight and look around for the sniper. Jupiter tried to summon lightning, but his anger didn't sustain him. He tried to struggle but was unable to. "I am going to kill you!"

"No. You are going to stand and walk into the warehouse to your right. Then, you will sit down in a chair and do everything else that I say. If you don't, I will kill Thalia," Pluto warned. Jupiter stared up at Pluto. "Understood?"

"Understood," Jupiter said. Pluto stood and took a few steps backwards. Jupiter sat up and stared down at Neptune. His eyes focused on the gun. He wanted nothing more than to lunge for the gun and fire at Pluto. He doubted that Reyna would be able to stop him, but the sniper probably still had eyes on him. At the moment, Jupiter did not care what happened to him, but he wouldn't let Thalia be hurt.

Jupiter slowly moved to Neptune's side. Reyna aimed her gun at him, but Pluto raised his hand. After a moment, Reyna lowered the gun. Jupiter stared down at Neptune and closed his dead brother's eyes. He took a deep breath and swallowed back his tears. Then, he stood and looked at the warehouse. Jupiter walked towards it.

"Did you brainwash the girl?" Jupiter asked. He glanced back at Reyna. The girl didn't have that cold look in her eyes anymore. She was pale and breathing a little heavy. Her hands were almost shaking. If Pluto noticed it, he didn't say a word. "Did you work with the Titans?"

"No," Pluto answered. "Kronos shot her in the head, so he could enact his plan in peace. He saved Reyna for her powers. He destroyed her life, so he could manipulate her."

"Where is Thalia?" Jupiter asked. Pluto didn't answer, and Jupiter turned towards him. "Where is my daughter!"

"Safe. For now," Pluto answered. Jupiter walked towards the door and glanced back. From the way that Neptune had fallen, his shooter was on the roof of the warehouse that they were standing by the entrance of. Reyna was staring at the gun and almost seemed to be having a mini panic attack. "Don't."

Jupiter froze. He had been planning on slamming into the girl and taking the gun from her, but Pluto seemed to realize that. Pluto spoke, "I will kill Thalia, if you lay a hand on Reyna. Do as I say."

Jupiter nodded and pushed open the door. He saw Pluto stop Reyna and whisper something to her. Reyna nodded quickly and backed out of the warehouse. Pluto closed the door and turned towards Jupiter.

"Do you see what the Titans have done to her?" Pluto asked. He walked past Jupiter and towards the middle of the room. Jupiter followed as well. The person he found in the middle of the filled warehouse was not the person he expected to see.

Kronos was on his knees, and a hand rested on his shoulders. Golden handcuffs were around his wrist, but his focus was only on his wife. Rhea was three feet from Kronos, and she was on her knees as well. Hecate's hand rested on her shoulder, and two of Hecate's fingers rested on her pulse, ready to snuff out her light at any moment.

"What is going on?" Jupiter demanded. He still couldn't summon his lightning. A hand rested on Jupiter's shoulder. "What do you want from us, brother."

"We made a mistake all of those years ago, and I am finally able to rectify that mistake," Pluto answered.

"You're nothing more than a coward," Kronos snapped. He tried to stand, but a cold grin from Hecate stopped him. Letus clasped both of his hands onto Kronos' shoulder. "You kidnapped my wife because you cannot face me!"

"Tearing through all of the Titans just to get to their leader would have brought forth too much attention. I knew a message from your wife would send you running here," Pluto said. "Especially since that message said Mnemosyne made an attempt on her life."

"But, I did not bring you here to gloat. I came to fix the sins of the past," Pluto said. Jupiter heard the door behind them open, and he slowly turned his head. Reyna closed the door behind her. The color was back to her face, and she wasn't shaking anymore.

"Can I?" Reyna asked, and she made it to their side. Pluto studied her for a long moment, but he nodded. Reyna slowly grabbed her gun from its holster and walked towards Kronos.

"Pluto, this is insane. You cannot allow a child to kill Kronos," Jupiter hissed. He looked at his brother, but Pluto spared him no attention. "You cannot let her become a murderer."

"If this is what she needs to do, I will not stand in her way," Pluto answered. He looked at Kronos. "You know how many people you have killed, hurt, and manipulated. I can only hope that you rot in the lowest circle of the inferno."

"Kronos has another trial scheduled soon. Let the people decide if he should die or not," Jupiter argued. Reyna slowly raised the gun and pressed it to Kronos' forehead. Kronos met her eyes and sneered. Reyna's finger rested on the trigger, but her hand soon started to shake once again.

Pluto let go of Jupiter and walked towards Reyna. He took the gun from the girl. Reyna closed her eyes and took a few steps backwards. Jupiter felt lightning building in his hands, and he saw Pluto tense. Pluto shoved Reyna backwards, and Jupiter shot his lightning. It caught Pluto square in the chest and threw him backwards.

Jupiter shot lightning at Hecate, and she dodged to the side. Kronos slammed the back of his head into Letus' groin, and Letus stumbled backwards in pain. Jupiter met Kronos' eyes for a moment, and they both looked at the gun that had fallen from Reyna's hands when she had been shoved down.

Reyna scrambled to grab the gun, but Rhea suddenly slammed into her and pinned her to the ground. Kronos grabbed the gun and smiled coldly. He met Rhea's eyes and nodded. Rhea shook her head.

"We will not hurt this girl anymore than we already have," Rhea said. She stood in front of Reyna. Jupiter move to look around the room. Letus was struggling to get to his hands and knees. Pluto wasn't moving, and Hecate was sitting on the ground and staring.

"Fine," Kronos said. He turned towards Letus and placed the gun to his head. "We'll just start with you."

Kronos suddenly yelled in pain and dropped the gun. He backed away with a knife buried in his hand. Letus lunged forward and grabbed Kronos by his throat. Kronos gasped, and Rhea rushed forward to help. Hecate intercepted her and locked her in a chokehold.

As Jupiter stepped forward, a cold hand rested on his neck. He slowly looked back at the near skeleton of a man. Charon studied him with cold eyes. A rifle rested on his back, and it was the same rifle that had ended Neptune's life.

Kronos yelled in pain and collapsed to his knees. Rhea reached out for her husband, but she cried out in pain as well. She fell to her her knees. Kronos gasped and scratched at Letus' hands. A strangled noise escaped him, and his hands fell. Kronos' eyes roll into the back of his head, and he went limp. Letus grabbed a knife from his belt and used it to slit Kronos' throat, which was overkill at that point. The villain was dead.

Rhea cried out and reached for her husband. She gasped and went limp. Hecate gently laid Rhea on the ground and grabbed her own knife. She slit Rhea's throat and whispered a few words. Letus stood and moved to Pluto's side. Another woman walked from the corner. Jupiter glared as he recognized Hylla.

Hylla made it to Reyna's side and pulled her to her feet. She held her sister close. Jupiter spoke, "I knew we could not trust you two. A villain can never change."

Pluto slowly made it to his feet and walked towards Jupiter. There was no emotions in his eyes. Jupiter just stared at his brother, and Pluto slowly grabbed his shoulder. Pluto spoke, "I do love you, brother. I will make sure your daughter and son are safe."

Jupiter remained silent and felt Pluto place a hand to his heart. Pluto closed his eyes, and Jupiter just stared. He couldn't die like this. His family and this city needed him. Jupiter started to raise his hand, but he heard a small pop. A gasp escaped him, and the world slowly dimmed. As Jupiter collapsed to his knees, Pluto caught him and placed a knife to his throat. Before Pluto brought the knife across Jupiter's throat, he spoke, "I love you, brother. This is just how it was always destined to end."


	23. Safety First

Reyna stared down at the gun on her hands. She had spent the last few months training to use one, and she was a pretty decent shot with it. That did nothing to help her when she was holding the gun to Kronos' head and staring into his eyes. Reyna thought that she could get over her own trauma by shooting Kronos in the head like he had done to her. Instead, she almost ruined everything.

Pluto didn't say anything about it. He had just ordered his friends to prepare the bodies, whatever that meant. Hylla had been glued to Reyna's side, which was probably the only reason that Reyna didn't have another panic attack. Reyna slowly flicked the safety of the gun back on and slid it into her holster.

They were back at the abandoned prison that they were using as a base. The entire ride back was in silence. Charon was the one who drove, and Pluto just stared out the window. The others would be heading back after they finished the next task. From there, they would take on the Titans.

"You should eat some food," Hylla said. Reyna just shrugged and stared at the ground. Food didn't sound good. All she wanted was for this entire situation to be over with. When she had first seen Kronos, she had been so angry. It felt so good to stop his powers and watch one of those weird old ladies subdue him. Kronos had been so concerned about his wife that he just blindly rushed into the warehouse.

Now, Reyna felt disgusted. The Titans had ripped away months of her life. They took her memory and manipulated her. Anything she did against them would be fueled by hatred. It would be different against the Olympians though. They didn't exactly go against Reyna herself. They just hated the villain Praetor.

Reyna may not have pulled the trigger, but she had Kronos' blood on her hands. The same went for Rhea, Neptune, and Jupiter. All of their blood was on her hands. How could she help kill any of the other Olympians? Minerva had saved Hylla's life, and Reyna was going to return the favor by helping kill her. Maybe, Reyna was a villain after all.

"Hey. Reyna, you okay?" Hylla asked. Reyna blinked and slowly looked at her sister. She nodded slightly. Hylla studied her and pulled her close. They both heard the door open, and Pluto stepped into the room. Bianca followed right behind him.

"Reyna, how are you doing?" Pluto asked. Reyna glanced up at him and looked down. She tensed as he grabbed her shoulder, and he quickly pulled away. "If I had known how badly this would shake you, I would not have let you come."

"I'm fine," Reyna whispered. "I just almost ruined everything."

"No. You did your job, and it all worked out," Pluto said. He gently grabbed Reyna's shoulder, and she didn't tense this time. "How bad are the flashbacks?"

"They're bad," Reyna admitted. She felt Hylla squeeze her hand. "There is times when I hear a loud noise, and it takes me back, or something cold might touch my forehead, and all I can remember is that."

"The Titans didn't stop and see how badly you were affected, did they?" Pluto asked. Reyna shook her head. "If you want to talk to Kore, she is a licensed therapist."

Reyna just nodded. Pluto studied her for a few moments and spoke, "Are you sure you are ready for this? I need you focused."

"I'm ready to handle the Titans," Reyna promised. She looked up at Pluto and slowly stood. "When are we going to their base?"

"As soon as the others are back," Pluto answered. He glanced at Bianca. "First, I want to talk to Thalia about her powers. And, about her father."

"It's not fair to tell Thalia this while she is locked up," Bianca protested. "It's just going to eat away at her."

"I would rather tell her now than hit her with the news all at once," Pluto said. His gaze focused back on Reyna. "Do you think you can deliver the news?"

Reyna stared at him for a few moments. She finally looked down. Could she tell Thalia about her father? Her feelings towards Thalia were complicated enough, but if she told Thalia that she had a hand in killing Jupiter, there would be no chance for reconciliation. That would be the end of it. Thalia would learn sooner or later though.

"I can," Reyna said. She slowly stood and noticed Pluto was looking down at her gloved hands. She slowly looked at her hands as well.

"When you deliver the news, I want to see if you can actually take her powers," Pluto said. Reyna nodded and slowly grabbed the glove on her right hand. She peeled it off and slowly clenched her fist. Could she actually take Thalia's powers away for good? Would she even know how to do it? "Are you ready?"

"I think I am," Reyna answered. Hylla squeezed her shoulder, and Reyna slowly stood. She followed Pluto out of the room and tried to think. How was she going to tell Thalia that her father was dead? How was Reyna going to tell Thalia that Reyna was part of the reason why Jupiter had died?

"After this, we will handle the Titans," Pluto said. They walked past the cells, and Reyna saw that Thalia wasn't inside. She frowned, but Pluto kept walking. Reyna slowly followed. "With four of their numbers dead, the Titans will be weakened, but I fear that they will scatter soon. We must squash them before they can."

"What about the Olympians?" Reyna questioned. They stepped into another hallway. This one was full of isolation rooms. Reyna had seen inside of a few of them and only found a mattress on the floor. There was no windows and or anything else.

"With Jupiter's phone, we will be able to track down their locations and handle them in one swift movement," Pluto answered. He stopped outside of a door. "Talk to Thalia and take her powers. When you are done, find your sister. I will tell her of our next step."

"I thought I was going to help you with assaulting the Titan base," Reyna began. She looked at the door of the isolation room that they stood outside of.

"I have been thinking about it. The Titans will not hesitate to kill, and we cannot afford for you to hesitate. You will still help us with the Olympians, as they will be more merciful. Do not be too upset," Pluto said. Reyna looked down. She was more grateful than upset. "I will send Kore to stand outside."

"I don't need anyone," Reyna said. Pluto studied her for a moment and handed her a key. Reyna slowly unlocked the door and opened it. She stepped inside the room and slowly looked around. The room itself was absolutely bare, other than the small mattress that was on the floor.

There was a single blanket and pillow on the bed. Thalia sat on the mattress as well. She looked up at Reyna, and she slowly stood. Reyna closed the door behind her and slowly spoke, "Thalia."

"Reyna," Thalia said. She looked extremely tensed. Her hands were cuffed in front of her, and she studied Reyna suspiciously.

"I'm sorry for attacking you," Reyna began. She slowly sat against the door and stared at Thalia. There was a few bruises on Thalia's face, thanks to their fight. "It's a long story."

"How are you alive?" Thalia asked quietly. She studied Reyna's wrists, and a sad sigh left her. "You're working with the people who kidnapped me."

"That's a long story too," Reyna said. She sighed tiredly and looked down. "When Kronos shot me in the head and kicked me off of the bridge, he had Tethys and Mnemosyne save my life. They wanted time to enhance my powers without anyone interfering, so they could break out of Tartarus again. The whole assault on city hall was for them get the nuclear material to enhance my powers."

"They also manipulated my memory and made it seem like you were the one who shot me. That's why I attacked you," Reyna continued. She played with some of the dirt on the ground. "When we broke the Titans out of Tartarus, I also let Pluto out, and he returned the favor by stopping our fight."

"Hades is the one who kidnapped me then," Thalia realized. Reyna nodded slightly. "So, you're working with him?"

"After he saved me from the Titans and showed me that I was being manipulated," Reyna said. She slowly looked up. "He promised that he wouldn't hurt you or any of our friends."

"What about our parents?" Thalia demanded. She stood. "I know that Hades hates my father and vowed revenge on him. Are you going to help him do that?"

Reyna looked away and took a deep breath. She spoke, "I already did."

Thalia stared at her and didn't say a word. Reyna slowly looked at Thalia. She knew how this felt. Losing a parent was a hard prospect. First, it was her father in Puerto Rico. Then, it was her mother sometime during the assault on city hall, but she couldn't remember how and didn't have the heart to ask Hylla.

"My father," Thalia said. She stumbled backwards and tripped over the mattress. Thalia didn't even try to catch herself and just fell onto the mattress. Reyna walked towards her and sat by her. "He's dead."

"He is," Reyna whispered. She looked at Thalia. "I am so sorry."

Tears came to Thalia's eyes, and she buried her face in her hands. Reyna looked away and spoke, "Pluto promised that he wouldn't hurt you, and I will make sure that he doesn't. I'm going to take your powers Thalia."

"You already took my father," Thalia cried. Her shoulders shook. Reyna looked away. "It doesn't matter what else you take."

"I'm sorry," Reyna said, but she knew the words didn't mean anything. Thalia cried into her hands and didn't respond. Reyna wanted nothing more than to pull Thalia into a hug, but at the same time, she felt terrible. She was a huge reason that Jupiter was dead, and Thalia had every right to blame her. Now, Reyna was here delivering the news to Thalia, as if that would make it any better.

"I know words aren't going to help, but I am so sorry," Reyna whispered. "I'm sorry about what I did Thalia, but I am the reason that the Titans are fee. I have to make up for that, and I just wish that your father wasn't caught in the middle of it."

Reyna stared down at the ground and closed her eyes. She just listened to Thalia's cries. It would be cruel to take Thalia's power while she was still grieving. All she could do now was wait. Would there ever be a good time for that betrayal though?

As Thalia continued to cry, Reyna slowly placed a hand to Thalia's back and rubbed it. A few minutes passed until Thalia took a deep breath and seemed to stop crying. She didn't look up though.

Reyna looked back at the ground and tried to ignore the guilt that gnawed in her chest. Thalia finally spoke, "I am going to avenge my father."

"Don't make yourself a threat," Reyna said. Thalia looked up at her. Reyna just stared at her ex girlfriend. Thalia's eyes were red from crying, and she looked ready to break out into tears again at any moment. "I don't want Pluto to target you."

"Hades is a monster who will target anyone," Thalia snapped. She glared at Reyna. The sadness in her eyes were replaced with hatred. Reyna felt something brush against her hip, and she glanced down. The muzzle of her gun slammed into her nose. Reyna fell back on the bed, and Thalia pinned her. She pressed the gun into Reyna's head.

"Stop," Reyna said quickly. She felt Thalia line the barrel of the gun up with the scar on her forehead, and panic started to build in her chest. "Thalia. Please just lower the gun."

"You helped Hades kill my father," Thalia snapped. Reyna closed her eyes tightly and tensed. It was becoming extremely hard to breath, and her heart was racing. "Why shouldn't I kill you and then everyone else here?"

Thalia pressed the gun against Reyna's head even more, and Reyna just let out a small cry. She could hear the distant sounds of sirens. There was also the sounds of a river. The gun suddenly lifted, and the noises stopped. Reyna didn't open her eyes though.

"I'm sorry," Thalia whispered. After a moment, Reyna slowly opened her eyes. Thalia had lifted the gun, and she was staring at it. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save you from the Titans. I'm sorry that I gave up on you."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save you," Thalia said. She looked up at the sky. Then, she looked down at the gun and pressed the muzzle against her forehead. "Maybe, I deserve this."

Before Reyna could react, Thalia pulled the trigger on the gun. Nothing happened, and Reyna shoved the gun away. She tore the gun from Thalia's grasp and pinned Thalia to the bed. Reyna spoke, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I caused most of these problems," Thalia whispered. Tears came back to her eyes. "I'm the reason that Kronos almost killed you and was able to manipulate you. Without that happening, the Titans would have never broken out again."

"Stop," Reyna said. She slowly grabbed Thalia's face. "I don't ever want you to say that this is your fault. It is not, Thalia. We could not have done anything to change what happened at city hall, and I don't blame you. If I had to make the choice between Hylla or you, I would choose Hylla. Please don't blame yourself."

Tears came to Thalia's eyes once again. Reyna slowly got off of her, and Thalia sat up. Then, she buried her face into Reyna's chest and starting crying. Reyna held Thalia close. She slowly laid back on the bed with Thalia and tried to hold her as close as possible, to show that she was there.

"I'm sorry," Reyna repeated. She rubbed Thalia's back. "Please don't blame yourself."

Thalia's only response was to cry even more. Reyna just held Thalia close and felt her own guilt crashing down onto her. Pluto wanted to kill all of the Olympians and save their kids, but if Thalia reacted like she did, how would the others react? Could Reyna continue to help Pluto and have her hands become completely soaked in blood? At the moment, Reyna really didn't know.


	24. A World Torn Asunder

The last half year had been a roller coaster of emotions for Thalia. It all started with learning that her girlfriend had been the villain that she wanted to bring down the most. From there, things only got worse. Watching a bullet enter Reyna's skull and seemingly kill her was something that would haunt Thalia forever, but none of that compared to learning that her father was dead. That was going to destroy Thalia.

Grief wasn't going to stop Thalia though. She wasn't going to be a quiet, sullen mess. This time was going to be different. The split second reaction of taking Reyna's gun and forcing it against Reyna's forehead was rash and cruel. Thalia turning the gun to her own forehead had been fueled by desperation and grief. After some time to grieve, those emotions were thrown into a blender and became something like anger.

Thalia stared down at the bed. She had cried herself to sleep in Reyna's arms. Reyna had not shoved her away, even after Thalia shoved a gun into her face. Considering Thalia fell asleep and woke in Reyna's arms, they had spent the night, or maybe a few hours, together. Thalia wasn't sure how long it had been. It didn't matter though.

Thalia slowly looked at Reyna. While sleeping, the two had become entangled with each other. Someone had also laid a blanket over the two of them. Thalia carefully removed the blanket from herself and tried to untangle herself from Reyna.

Reyna had one arm wrapped around Thalia's waist, and Thalia's head was laying on her chest. As Thalia slowly moved her legs and started to pull away, she tried to keep from waking Reyna. For as long as they had been dating, Reyna was always a light sleeper. It also didn't help that Thalia's house was usually a war zone of yelling and things being hit. Those things seemed to wake Reyna instantly.

Thalia managed to untangle her legs from Reyna's. Then, she carefully tried navigating away from Reyna's arm. It took a few moments, but she was able to. Thalia waited a few moments and then slowly sat up. Her eyes moved down to study Reyna.

Without Thalia there to cuddle, Reyna had turned on her side. It was the normal position that she usually ended up in when she use to take naps on Thalia's bed. It didn't take Thalia long to learn that Reyna felt at her most vulnerable when she slept, and it had taken awhile for her to allow herself to fall asleep before Thalia.

What was Thalia going to do now though? Her father was dead, murdered with help from Reyna. Thalia felt tears come to her eyes, but she took a deep breath. This was not the time for grief. This was the time for vengeance. She was going to find Hades and return the favor.

Thalia reached for Reyna's gun, but after a moment, she stopped. With her powers, there was no need for a gun. She had a few lessons on the shooting range, but she was not an expert. Thalia slowly stood and looked around the room. Taking the key from Reyna's pocket wasn't an option. She would wake instantly.

Thalia did need to get out of the handcuffs, but that would be a simple solution. She reached down towards her boot and grabbed a small lock picking kit from inside it. After the incident with the Titans, the Olympians taught everyone how to pick locks, in case they were ever in a situation like this again.

It took thirty seconds for Thalia to pick the lock and watch the handcuffs fall to the ground. She picked them up and glanced at Reyna. Putting the handcuffs on Reyna's wrist would most likely wake her. Thalia slipped the handcuffs into her pocket. After rubbing her wrist, she tried to create a small amount of lightning in her hands.

Thalia didn't feel anything, and nothing came to her hands. A frown came to her face as she tried once again. Then, fear gripped her heart. Reyna told her that she was going to take her powers away, but Thalia didn't believe her. It couldn't be possible, could it?

Reyna could temporarily take away powers. Taking away powers permanently had to be impossible. Thalia stared down at her hands. This was very real though. There was nothing fake about this. She took a deep breath and moved to Reyna's side. Thalia carefully removed the gun from Reyna's holster.

Reyna shifted, and Thalia tensed. Reyna didn't move after that, and Thalia moved towards the door. She slowly opened it and kept one eye on Reyna. As Reyna tensed slightly, Thalia lunged towards her and pinned her to the bed.

Thalia barely pinned Reyna to the bed before Reyna came back to full consciousness. Thalia spoke, "I really don't want to hurt you, but I can't stay here."

"I don't want to hurt you either," Reyna whispered. She stared up at the ceiling, not meeting Thalia's eyes. "I am so sorry about your father Thalia, but Pluto is right. The Olympians caused all of these problems. They should pay the price."

"By being murdered?" Thalia snapped. Anger burned in her chest, and tears came to her eyes. The thought of her father's death was starting to come back to her mind, and she took a few deep breaths. With her powers seemingly gone, another thing was ripped away from her. Her world had been ripped apart, and she didn't know if she could put the pieces back together.

"Do you think murder is going to solve anything?" Thalia demanded. How could Reyna believe that? Was this really the person that Thalia loved? How could everything be so wrong? Thalia grabbed the handcuffs from her pocket and threw them at Reyna's face. "Put them on."

"Don't do this," Reyna said. She finally looked into Thalia's eyes. "Pluto will not take this lightly. Please just listen to me Thalia."

"No!" Thalia snapped, and she barely kept herself from yelling. Thalia never had time to properly process the news that Reyna was Praetor, and after Reyna's apparent death, there was nothing to process. Thalia just wanted to pull herself away from her grief. Now, the only thing Thalia could do was remember just how cruel Praetor had been.

That's who Reyna was. She was Praetor: the villain that everyone on the streets feared. Nothing was going to change her morals, not a stupid contract that they had signed or a chance to be a good guy. Thalia raised the gun and flicked the safety off. Reyna flinched and stared at the gun. Thalia had no more regrets as she pressed the gun back into Reyna's forehead.

"Put the handcuffs on," Thalia ordered. Her voice shook in anger. After a moment, Reyna put the handcuffs on. She lifted them for Thalia to see. Thalia lowered the gun and stood. "Follow me."

"I don't want Pluto to hurt you," Reyna whispered. She slowly stood, and her eyes didn't move from the gun. "It doesn't matter what I have to do."

"Hades doesn't care about what you want," Thalia yelled. She grabbed Reyna by her collar. "Why can't you understand that? Hades is a master manipulator. He is manipulating you, just like the Titans did."

"Pluto saved me," Reyna argued. She stared in Thalia's eyes and tried to hide her fear.

"He saved you to use you!" Thalia yelled. She heard the door behind her starting to open, and she swore. Thalia swung the gun at Reyna, but Reyna caught her arm. She threw Thalia over her shoulder. Thalia hit the ground hard, and Reyna pinned her.

The door fully opened, and Bianca stepped into the room. Thalia stared up at Bianca, and her heart sank to her stomach. Out of everyone in the world, Bianca had to know how much of a monster Hades was. It didn't matter if they were related. Why was Bianca working with her father?

"What happened?" Bianca asked. She slowly stepped into the room. Thalia slowly looked at the ceiling. How could she trust anyone after this? The people who were suppose to be her friends were actually monsters.

"It was a misunderstanding," Reyna said quickly. She looked up at Bianca. "Pluto doesn't have to know about this. I can't let Thalia get hurt."

Thalia glared angrily and tried to shove Reyna away, but she had no luck. Reyna had her firmly pinned to the ground. She had gotten much stronger over the past few months. Thalia closed her eyes. It didn't seem to matter what she did. Reyna just wanted to protect her no matter what. At the moment, Thalia didn't really want to return the sentiment.

"He doesn't," Bianca agreed. She walked towards them. "My father and the others left for the Titan base. They said the Olympians were next."

As Bianca made it to their side, she looked down at Thalia. All Thalia could do was stare up at Bianca. She tried to summon lightning but had no luck. Fear gripped her heart, and her stomach twisted. Bianca took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," Bianca said. Without warning, she slammed her knee directly into Reyna's jaw. Reyna collapsed to the ground and didn't move for a few moments. Thalia quickly sat up, and she heard a small groan escape Reyna. "I'm sorry, Reyna."

Bianca grabbed Thalia and pulled her to her feet. The two of them hurried out of the room. Thalia followed her and spared one last glance at Reyna. It didn't seem like Reyna would be following them anytime soon.

"What is going on?" Thalia asked. She followed Bianca down the hallway. Bianca didn't answer, and her hurried walk turned into a jog. Thalia matched her pace and tried to make sense of what was going on. "Are you actually working with your father?"

"I woke up here," Bianca answered. She glanced back at Thalia. "And, I couldn't just let the Titans get away with murdering Nico. I don't regret helping my father with trying to stop the Titans, but I didn't realize how far he was going to go. I'm sorry."

Bianca turned the corner and immediately fell backwards. Thalia didn't stop herself in time, and Bianca fell into her. They both tumbled to the ground. Thalia looked up and quickly scooted backwards. She held her hands up in a defensive position.

"What are you doing?" Hylla demanded. She stared at the two of them. Her hand slowly moved to the knife at her side. Thalia just stared up at Hylla. Why the hell were both Hylla and Reyna working with Hades? How long had Hylla been working with him? "Where is Reyna?"

"She's fine," Bianca answered. She stood and stepped in front of Thalia. "And, we are leaving while we can. My father took me against my will, and he will not keep me trapped here any longer."

"Your father wants to keep you safe. Just be grateful that you have a parent that cares for you," Hylla said. Bianca didn't answer, but her eyes did narrow. She walked past Hylla. Thalia followed, but a hand grabbed her shoulder. "It doesn't matter if you two want to leave. The door is locked by a key card, and I don't have one."

"We'll find a way. Are you going to stop us?" Bianca asked. Hylla studied them and didn't answer. "I agree that the Titans deserve whatever is coming their way. The Olympians are different. They saved this city and have worked to protect it."

"Your father and his friends are tearing through the Titans and are going to tear through the Olympians after that. Do you really want to turn on them?" Hylla asked. "For all of the talk of not killing innocents, it won't take much for them to turn on Thalia. They will kill her. If I'm not careful, it will be me and my sister next."

"My father is already dead, so I don't really care what they do to me," Thalia snapped. She pulled away from Hylla. "Do you really think that you and Reyna are going to be able to walk away from this? Hades will kill the two of you after he is done using you!"

"Reyna and I won't be around long enough," Hylla answered. She crossed her arms. "When we get the chance, we are finding Kinzie and leaving all of this behind."

"We can both complete our goals then," Bianca said. "If we can get our hands on the key card that lets us leave, you and Reyna can get out of here. Thalia and I can find the Olympians and warn them."

Hylla studied them for a few moments. She finally looked down and spoke, "I don't know if it is worth the risk of getting caught."

"We'll find our own way out then," Thalia snapped. Hylla studied them for a few moments and finally sighed. She grabbed both of their arms once again. "Let go!"

"We have to work together if we are going to escape intact," Hylla said. "So, you have to trust me."

Thalia studied her for a moment and finally nodded. She tried to keep her anger locked away. It took her a few moments to blink away hear tears. Thalia spoke, "You might want to check on Reyna."

"She should be fine," Bianca said quickly. Hylla glared at them and started to walk. "I wasn't trying to hurt her."

Hylla didn't answer that. She just increased her pace. Thalia was forced to follow her. She didn't really know who she could trust at this point, but it wasn't like she actually had a choice. If a chance to escape presented itself, she would take it. Hylla finally spoke, "I have a plan, but if we aren't careful, it is going to get us killed."


	25. The Hand of Justice

Pluto's fingers tapped against his steering wheel. His gaze stared at the building that acted as the Titan base. They had been watching the building a few hours now, making sure that no Titans came out and also waiting for all of the rats to return to their nest. They had seen nothing so far.

The others were getting impatient, but Pluto was more than content to wait. He would rather take out all of the Titans in one fell swoop than have to worry about any of them escaping. Pluto closed his eyes for a few moments. Everything was going well so far, and he was just waiting for it all to fall apart.

Pluto reached out to turn on the radio, and when he heard a report on the weather, a small smile came to his face. The Olympians had not discovered their little surprise yet. They would find it soon though, and it would send the city into a lockdown. Pluto opened his eyes.

The warehouse had been scrubbed of all blood and cleaned thoroughly. The bodies of Kronos, Rhea, and Jupiter had been left on the ground, with the bodies prepared for a funeral. The bodies of Tethys and Mnemosyne had been brought to the warehouse as well. It would be a story that would send the city into a panic, and the Olympians would be busy trying to control it.

"If the Titans are not already here, I don't think they are coming," Kore stated. Pluto looked at his wife. She gave him a small smile, and he found himself relaxing. Even if he wouldn't admit it, he was worried about how everything would play out. When he gave the order to attack, there was no going back. If all of the Titans weren't there, what was he going to do?

"Let's go," Pluto said. Kore nodded and kissed his cheek. Then, she opened the car door and stepped outside. Pluto did as well and examined the Titan base. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. Why was he so worried? They had planned for this. It would be fine. As he opened the trunk and grabbed his items, he tried to focus on anything but the path ahead.

According to stories that he heard about the Titan's first breakout, they lost two of their numbers. The first was Atlas, who had been killed by Thalia. The second was Bellona, and while he had never heard of the woman before, he had watched the newscast that played an article about her. Kore also told him that Bellona was the mother of Reyna and Hylla. When asked about her mother and how she died, Hylla had gone extremely silent.

Pluto looked back towards the building. Only six of the Titans remained, and in less than a hour, there would not be a single Titan left. Pluto watched the rest of his friends slowly move towards the building. He slowly followed behind them.

There wasn't one Titan that worried him more than another. They were all powerful in their own ways, and they would fight to the death. This is what Pluto and his team had prepared for though. All of those years of waiting were finally going to pay off.

Oceanus was the husband of Tethys and was able to control water. Pluto knew that he could overload the water pressure in appliances and cause it to explode. If the shrapnel from that didn't hit anything, he could still use the water to lash out at people. Pluto had heard that Oceanus drowned a few people by pouring water in their mouth and controlling it from there.

Hyperion could create a blinding ball of light in his hand. He use to take people that he wanted information from and tie them to a chair. He would hold his palm against their eyes, and if he held it long enough, it would start to burn through their eyelids. The man himself was also skilled in different types of fighting.

Whereas Hyperion could create a blinding light, Theia could create darkness. She had the ability to take away one's vision for a short amount of time by just touching their eyelids. Sometimes, she went much further than that and would take away the eyesight in just one eye, like some kind of warning of what would happen if she wasn't listened to.

Iapetus was the smartest of the bunch, until his brain had nearly been turned into jello during the assault on city hall. Pluto heard stories that the man acted like nothing more than a child now, all of his great genius lost to the world. Pluto was surprised the other Titans did not just leave Iapetus in prison, unless they thought they had a use for his powers of controlling people's pain receptors.

The last two were more of a mystery to Pluto, even though he had fought against them. Krios and Koios were brothers. Koios always seemed to have some kind of hidden genius to him, but he would never flaunt it about. There was nothing remarkable about him when they fought. Krios was unremarkable as well.

That only made Pluto more worried. He knew that Kronos didn't hold useless people close. He wouldn't have anyone at his side that wasn't useful, unless it was his wife. If Krios and Koios could not pull their weight, they would be gone. There was a secret power to them, and Pluto would figure out what it was.

Pluto watched Letus and Charon slowly make their way towards the front door. Both held pistols in their hands. While Pluto would rather only use their powers, he was no fool. A bullet to the knee would dissuade anyone from using their powers, and if it didn't, the next bullet would be aimed at their skull.

In a perfect world, Reyna and Hylla would have joined them. With how Reyna reacted with Kronos, they could not take any chances. It was not the girl's fault that she had terrible flashbacks that crippled her for a few moments, but Pluto would be a fool to allow that kind of liability into the middle of a war zone. Besides, Reyna was busy comforting Thalia. Hylla didn't want to go anywhere without her sister, and Pluto didn't blame her.

Pluto walked around the back of the building and slowly grabbed his own pistol. He glanced back and nodded at Hecate, who seemed to just appear at his side. She nodded back. Kore had moved to climb into an open window. They were all ready. Pluto placed a hand to his earpiece. He spoke, "One. Two. Three."

Pluto gently grabbed the door handle and tried to turn it. When he found the door was locked, he took a step backwards and kicked it open. Hecate immediately stepped inside and raised her gun. She swept the room, and Pluto followed behind her. He heard the sound of a single bullet firing from the opposite side of the base, and it was followed by a howl of pain.

After raising his own pistol, Pluto examined his surroundings. There was a few duffel bags and piles of clothes thrown on the ground near the door. He slowly walked past a bathroom and glanced inside the open door. After turning on the light and making sure no one was in the room, he continued on.

Hecate swept past him and went to open another door. A hand suddenly appeared out of the door and pressed in on her eyes. She howled in pain and pulled away. Pluto stepped in front of Hecate and grabbed the hand. He heard a shocked noise and stared into the eyes of Hyperion.

Hyperion tried to pull away, but Pluto did not let the Titan budge. He pulled Hyperion forward and grabbed his neck. Hyperion tried to bring his hands towards Pluto's eyes, but Pluto simply closed his eyes and focused on snuffing out the Titan's life. After a couple of second, Hyperion went limp in his hands.

Pluto threw the Titan to the ground and stared down at the corpse. He quickly turned towards Hecate. She was sitting against the wall and blinking rapidly. As Pluto went to knelt by her, she simply waved him away. Pluto offered a hand, and after a few reluctant moments, Hecate took his hand.

Sounds of fighting filled the base, but Pluto just continued to check rooms as he passed by them. It wasn't until they made it to what was probably the living room that they saw another Titan, and those two Titans were in a losing battle.

Krios and Koios were fighting back to back against the three Kindly sisters. Those sisters did not care for guns, as they used their canes with ruthless efficiency. One of the canes slammed into Krios' knee, and he fell to his opposite one. Kore placed a gun to his head and fired.

Koios yelled in anger, but a knife appeared out of his throat. He gasped, and Alecto shoved him to the ground. Pluto looked down at the Titans and slowly looked around at his friends. The sounds of fighting had ceased, but he didn't see Letus or Charon anywhere.

"Charon? Letus?" Pluto asked as he placed a hand to his earpiece. When there was no response, he started to worry. Pluto kept his face clear though. He checked the pulses of the two Titans to hide the fact that he was so worried. "Anyone there?"

"We have a runner. Two of them," Letus replied after a moment. Pluto spared a glance to Hecate, and she nodded. She turned and ran from the room. Kore nodded to Pluto and followed after Hecate. A small frown came to Pluto's face. The Titans were not suppose to have a chance to run. "Iapetus is outside and crippled."

"We'll finish him," Alecto promised. A cruel grin came to her face. Pluto nodded and motioned for the three of the to go. As they left, a small sigh escaped Pluto.

Being caught did not scare Pluto. He knew it was inevitable, but he could not stand the thought of any of the Titans escaping justice. They had ruined so many lives, and it was time to put an end to them. If one of them escaped, he didn't know what he was going to do.

"Find them but be safe. Meet back here," Pluto said. He lowered his hand from the earpiece. Things would be fine. He didn't need to worry. Even if one of those two Titans did manage to escape, Pluto would hunt them down. It didn't matter if he had to search the ends of the earth. One way or another, justice would be delivered.


	26. So It Begins

Hylla never thought her life would turn out like this. When she came to Olympian Plains with her sister, it was to start a new life but also find purpose. She needed to go back to the place where her mother was, so maybe, she could understand why her mother did the things that she did. Hylla still didn't have the answers to that, and she would never get those answers.

Hylla thought that fighting criminals and making Olympian Plains a safer place would give her some kind of purpose. In truth, it just gave her a way to relax and relieve stress. Hylla didn't regret escaping the chaos of their old home. She just wished that she had money to take care of her baby sister.

Working two jobs and going to school had driven Hylla to her breaking point. The only two things that kept her sane were Kinzie and Reyna. Now, Hylla didn't even know where Kinzie was or if she was even safe. Hylla and Reyna were stuck inside the base of Pluto and his friends.

Hylla sighed and finished her slice of pizza. They were all sitting in Thalia's small room that doubled as a cell. The only food was leftover pizza, but it didn't taste like anything to Hylla. She was too worried to eat, until Reyna had nudged her.

Reyna wasn't eating anything. She was just cradling ice to her injured jaw. Hylla hadn't been too happy when she stepped into the room and found that Reyna was half conscious. Bianca had repeatedly apologized, but Hylla didn't feel too forgiving. If they didn't need to work together, she probably would have knocked Bianca's teeth out.

Bianca was staring at the ground and looked lost in thought. She was nibbling on her slice of pizza. Bianca hadn't said much, and she seemed tired. Hylla didn't know how to feel about the younger girl. Pluto obviously cared about her but not enough to let her in on his plans, or give her a stupid key card to exit the building with.

Thalia was sitting across from Hylla and refused to eat any food. Her arms were crossed, and there was a scowl on her face. She wasn't taking the death of her father well, but there was nothing Hylla could say. The things that they did to Jupiter were, quite simply, for their own survival.

Hylla didn't care what Pluto said. If they didn't agree to help him, the two of them would have been killed. She still wasn't sure if he was going to kill them after all of this was done, which is why she planned on leaving as soon as possible. Hylla and Reyna were going to escape, they were going to find Kinzie, and they were getting the hell out of the country, even if it meant going back to Puerto Rico.

Their plan to escape was, well, dumb. It was really dumb. If Pluto or any of his friends were to walk into the small room, they would see four friends sharing pizza. Thalia still had her handcuffs on, so it shouldn't be too suspicious. When Pluto and his friends got back, that was when the plan would truly begin.

Bianca would talk to her father and distract him for however long they needed. Hylla would find Kore and claim that she wanted to talk about what happened to Bellona. The topic was a juicy one for any therapist, and it would keep Kore distracted long enough for Hylla to take the keycard from her. Reyna would wait by Thalia's cell for the signal, and somehow, they would all leave.

Hylla was more than tempted to just throw that plan out the window. She could just get the keycard and leave with Reyna. Pluto probably wouldn't hurt his own daughter. Thalia had already chosen her father over Reyna, so could Thalia really be upset if Hylla chose Reyna over Thalia. In all honesty, Hylla didn't give a shit what Thalia thought.

If the opportunity came just to get out of there with Reyna, she would take it. The only thing she could do now was stay focused on her current task. Hylla stood and looked at the others. She spoke, "Come on, Reyna. We should find medicine for you."

Reyna didn't argue. She just slowly stood and left the room. Thalia watched Reyna go. There was a hard to read expression on her face. Hylla studied her for a moment. Then, she left the room and followed after Reyna.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hylla asked quietly. Reyna shook her head. Hylla didn't want to prod Reyna anymore, but she just wanted to be at her sister's side at every moment. "How do you feel?"

"I just want to be alone," Reyna whispered. Hylla looked down and sighed. Reyna walked towards the small break room. It acted as a kitchen but looked like it had never been used. Reyna made it to the freezer and exchanged her ice pack. She slowly sat on the table and cradled her jaw in the ice. Hylla grabbed a drink out of the fridge and then walked towards the containers of medicine.

Hylla glanced at the television on the other side of the room, and a frown came to her face. She took a few steps towards it and studied the newscast. It wasn't Venus' normal show. Instead, another woman was reporting a story about the stealing of an AI.

The reporter couldn't belong to Venus' broadcast. For one, she looked happy. There was a caring smile on her face, despite the fact that she seemed to be reporting a grim story. Her black hair had a tie dye bandage that wrapped it up, and her glasses almost hid her brown eyes. There was small, golden wings pinned to her chest.

Hylla knew all about Iris. The woman ran an underground news network, but what was she doing on television? What was she doing broadcasting on Venus' channel, during the time slot of Venus' talk show? Iris stopped mid sentence, and a frown came to her face.

The green screen behind Iris suddenly went dark. Iris turned around and suddenly stiffened. She took a few steps backwards, and someone appeared in the shadows. Hylla stared at the masked man in the shadows. Iris took another step backwards and spoke, "Hades?"

"Iris," Pluto greeted. He walked into the light and slowly looked around. "Do not fret. I am not here to harm you. I just needed a platform for my message."

"What would that message be?" Iris slowly asked. Pluto stepped away for a few moments. When he came back, he was holding onto two chairs. Pluto set the chairs down and then sat in one. After a moment, Iris joined him.

"We saved this place so many years ago," Pluto began. He took a deep breath. "We handled the Titans and trapped them in a prison that we thought they would never escape from. The Olympians did very evil things to ensure that the common folk was safe, but they never owned up to what they did. They all pinned it on me."

"I escaped Tartarus, but I am not going to go across this town murdering everyone in sight. No. The only people who are going to die are those with powers. All of the Olympians and Titans will die. All of the any so called heroes and villains that have abused their powers will die," Pluto stated. He smiled at Iris. "And, you're going to broadcast it for everyone to see."

"I will do no such thing," Iris said. Pluto grabbed her shoulder. "You can kill me, but I will not give in to your demands."

"You are innocent. I will not harm you," Pluto said. He looked back at the green screen. "We already have control of your broadcast, and it is airing on Venus' network. Do you remember a young man named Luke Castellan? He was a hacker and abandoned son of one of the Olympians. This young man made a program called Backbiter, with the help of Kronos. It allows access into the network of the Olympians. It just took a little tweaking to make it work for my purposes."

"We are going to show the camera feed of the Olympians. To keep anonymity, there will not be any audio included," Pluto said. He snapped his fingers, and the screen went dark. It then showed the view of some kind of computer screen. Hylla could see a few apps and browsers were open, but another window opened. There was multiple little boxes that were playing a video too small for Hylla to properly see.

The mouse moved and clicked on one of the videos. It buffered for a moment, and it showed a table with cards on it. Hylla frowned and glanced at Reyna. Her sister was just staring at the television and not saying a word. Hylla focused back on the screen and stared at the poker game.

"That's Apollo and Artemis," Reyna said softly. Hylla nodded slightly and watched the screen. She wasn't sure whose camera they were watching, but the person was very interested in their poker cards. Apollo, a man with a beaming smile and a doctor's coat, sat across from the camera.

Artemis was sitting across from him, but she was in her uniform. She wore a parka that had the hood up, but Hylla caught glimpses of a silver mask. Hylla studied the two. She knew Apollo from her own stay in the hospital. He had mended her bones and helped her leave the hospital.

"They're siblings. Twins," Reyna muttered. Hylla nodded and slowly rubbed Reyna's back. Her sister probably shouldn't have been talking. A glance to her side showed that Reyna was just staring at the television and had lowered the ice. Hylla gently pushed the ice back to her sister's jaw.

Hylla didn't know much about Artemis, other than the fact that she only ever arrested male villains. She didn't know if it was a huge coincidence or if Artemis just really didn't like men. Apollo glanced to his left and spoke. Artemis glared at her twin. The camera suddenly switched views, and it showed the third person at the table.

This man wore a bandanna over his mouth and head. There was a mischievous look in his eyes. Reyna spoke, "That's Hermes. A master thief."

"How do you know all of them?" Hylla asked quietly. Reyna glanced at her.

"Titans made me do my homework," Reyna muttered. She sighed and pressed the ice against her jaw with more force. Hylla rubbed her back.

Hermes suddenly stiffened and looked up. The screen turned dark. Hylla frowned and watched the television. After a solid minute, the camera flicked back on. Hylla stared at the scene in front of her.

Those three, creepy old ladies that had attacked her and Reyna were now attacking the Olympians. Artemis and the one with a red bow in her hair were fighting in hand to hand combat. Despite the older woman's age, she matched Artemis blow for blow.

Apollo was lying unconscious on the ground. There was a nasty open wound on the back of his head that turned his golden hair red. It seemed like they were watching the viewpoint of Hermes' camera, and by the flailing of random limbs, he was in a choke hold. The old lady that was standing over Apollo turned towards him and lifted her cane. She slammed it directly below the camera. Then, she did it again, and again, and again.

Hylla turned away and felt sick to her stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the cane still being slammed into Hermes' unprotected chest. It was the same thing they had done to Reyna, but they had backed off after a few hits. Hylla knew that they weren't going to back off of Hermes until they had beaten the life out of him.

"They were suppose to wait for us," Reyna muttered. Her gaze stayed focused on the television. The violence didn't seem to bother her, or maybe, she was just shell shocked from what had happened to Kronos and the others.

Hylla stood and turned off the television. She wouldn't watch a murder happen on live television. Reyna just stared at the dark screen, and her eyes seemed like she was a million miles away. Hylla slowly grabbed her shoulder and spoke, "Are you okay?"

"They're going to kill everyone," Reyna whispered. She looked down and closed her eyes. "They're going to kill my friends."

Hylla remained silent. Did Reyna really not think that Pluto would be true to his word? Did she think that Pluto would be stopped before he could complete his goal? Did it just not connect for Reyna? Was the damage from the bullet being shot into her head making it impossible to come to that realization?

"We have to stop them," Reyna whispered. She shook her head. "We can't let all of them die."

"We can't do anything until we get out of here," Hylla said softly. She didn't know how to tell Reyna that they were getting out of Olympian Plains as soon as they had the chance. Reyna would fight her, but Hylla knew what was best for them. They had to leave Olympian Plains, before it was their heads on the executioner's block.


	27. One Fell Swoop

Pluto cared about this family. He cared about his friends and the people that he grew up with. Watching them be systematically destroyed and murdered hurt his soul. He didn't want to see his family suffer, but he had to take those feelings and shove them deep inside.

Being imprisoned meant that Pluto had plenty of free time, and he spent most of that time deep in thought. How could he save Olympian Plains from their tyrants? How could he save this damned place while also spilling as little blood as possible? In the end, he knew there was no way to avoid bloodshed, so to avoid this ever happening again, Pluto would soak himself in blood.

Pluto closed his eyes as he heard the noise of someone being strangled. He had to take his emotions and stuff them down deep inside. Pluto had to become the monster that everyone called him. He had to become Hades. Pluto opened his eyes and watched the camera view.

They were watching through Mercury's camera, but going by sound alone, he was choking on what little air he had left. Tisiphone lifted her cane and slammed it down, out of view of the camera. The small, shaky movements of the camera stopped, which meant that Mercury wasn't moving anymore.

Diana had been holding her own against Alecto, but Megaera had turned the tides. When Tisihone joined in, Diana disappeared underneath the three women and the three canes that they had. Pluto looked away and focused on Iris. The woman just stared at the television and seemed to be in shock.

Pluto turned his head to look at the camera that recorded them. When two of the Titans had escaped, he knew they could delay no longer. His daughter and the Ramirez sisters had not been a factor in their plans until recently, so it was easy to remove their involvement, especially since they needed to act with haste.

The two remaining Titans, Theia and Oceanus, had escaped, but they would need medical attention. They would either get it from an underground doctor or end up going to a real hospital. From there, police would find out, and the authorities would as well. It would have been just a matter of time until the Olympians found out, and they would have had time to prepare.

Pluto could not afford that. That was why they pulled the trigger on their plan. The program Backbiter allowed them to get inside the database and into the camera feed of the Olympians, and it was just a matter of figuring out where they were and getting there.

Diana, Apollo, and Mercury were all guarding the vault of the Olympians. He didn't quite know why there were guarding the vault, as no one could get inside there. It had to be attached to the Titans, which wouldn't be a concern anymore. Having three Olympians gathered in the same place made the job of killing them much easier.

Pluto watched Megaera plunge her knife into Diana's neck. Then, she stood and turned towards the camera. As the bloody knife swung downwards, the feed cut out. Pluto spoke, "I am not going to hurt you, Iris. In fact, I respect you. Despite all of the threats you face trying to spread the truth, you continue to do it."

"Don't make people watch this," Iris whispered. She wouldn't even meet Pluto's eyes.

"I am not forcing anyone to watch anything. They have the ability to change the channel or turn off the television," Pluto stated. "The truth is that not many people will turn this off. They will watch the death and destruction of the Olympians. This is a new era of Olympian Plains. Everyone is witnessing the start of a new age."

Pluto looked back at the blank television. Apollo never cared to truly hide his identity, but his twin Diana did enough to cover their tracks. They always argued and had their disagreements. Apollo, quite frankly, was a whore. He slept with any man or woman that would have him. Diana had always hated to even talk about dating anyone. They were so different yet still the same. It was only fitting that they die together.

Mercury had been a thief, after he got his powers. It was his fault that Luke Castellan turned out the way he did, dying in a futile attempt to free the Titans only four years ago. It was another story that had been swept underneath the rug by the Olympians.

Pluto watched the television show the laptop once again, and it clicked on a new camera. As the camera flickered to show a table full of documents, Pluto felt his heart drop to his stomach. The person that the camera belonged to was Juno. Pluto still didn't know what powers she had, unless nagging was a new power.

Pluto could not show his nervousness. The camera turned around to show a woman standing in the shadows. Kore stepped out of the darkness and smiled slightly. She walked towards Juno and spoke. The camera couldn't pick up what it was, but it didn't matter.

The camera swayed, as if Juno used her whole body to shake her head. She turned towards the documents. The camera suddenly snapped to the side, and blood hit the documents. A bloody knife appeared in front of the camera. Then the blade turned towards the camera, and the feed ended.

Pluto looked away. Juno was always going to be the easiest one to take out, as long as they could get her alone. She was normally surrounded by one of the Olympians and her horde of assistants. Pluto hoped none of the assistants had been hurt by Kore. It wasn't their fault they were stuck working for the devil herself.

Since Juno was the easiest one to kill, that was why he had sent Kore to do it. Just the thought of something happening to Kore made Pluto's gut twist. He had lost too many people already, including his first love and his only son. He would not lose anyone else.

The camera view jumped once again, to show a steering wheel. One large hand gripped the steering wheel, and that hand belonged to Mars. The death of the police officer would only serve to make the town safer, whether the man was an Olympian or not. Mars was a violent and cruel brute, akin to a feral dog, and feral dogs had to be put down.

Since Mars was not practicing road safety, his other hand was probably feeling up his wife. Venus and Mars had an interesting relationship. The two hated each other one day and loved each other the next. Pluto didn't know why they were even married, since even before he was imprisoned, they cheated on each other constantly. He didn't think those habits had died.

There was the sudden screeching of tires, and the camera slammed forward into the steering wheel. Pluto involulateily winced as he heard the grinding of metal and a scream from presumably Venus. After a minute of silence, the camera was lifted up. Blood hit the steering wheel a moment later.

The camera jumped to Venus' point of view, which wasn't a good one. Letus finished dragging his knife across Mar's throat, and he let go of the man's head. Mars collapsed against the steering wheel and didn't move.

Venus turned and threw open her door. She started to run and considering she always wore heels, she was doing a good job of putting distance between her and the car. A small scowl came to Pluto's face. He did not want a single Olympian to escape, but out of all of them, Venus would do the most damage.

Venus did an amazing job at putting up a facade, one that Pluto sometimes struggled to see through. Venus played the role of a vulture reporter well enough, and she made it seem like she only cared about fame. Venus was a genius though. One did not make an empire without the brains to continue running it.

Pluto watched the camera suddenly fall to the ground. It hit the ground and cracked, but as it turned on its side, Pluto saw that Venus was still running, and she had one hand to her ear. Pluto saw Letus chasing behind, but the lawyer wouldn't be able to catch up. If Venus hadn't not chosen a career as a journalist that chased after stories, she would have been a track star.

That fact that Venus had a hand to her ear worried Pluto. The Olympians were being watched over by someone. There was only one person that could remain calm enough to follow the chaos of everything that was happening and then tell them how to best survive: Minerva.

Minerva was also the hardest Olympian to get a lock on. She was always one step ahead, not just because she could read minds. Minerva was one of the smartest people that Pluto had ever met. He would have liked to take her out first, but they had not been able to find her. All of the them would just have to work together to take her down.

The camera switched for what would be the final time, and there was already chaos in this camera. It too had fallen to the ground, but it showed Vulcan fighting against Hecate. The crippled man was winning the battle, which came as no surprise to Pluto.

Vulcan had been crippled earlier in his life by Juno. They all called it a mistake, but Pluto knew the truth. He had seen the evil gleam in Juno's eyes as they all rushed to the hospital. She had almost seemed disappointed that Vulcan would live, despite his leg being crippled. It wasn't bad enough that Juno ruined Vulcan's life. She wanted to end it.

Vulcan was like Pluto: the outcast of the group. When Pluto was put in jail, Vulcan drifted further and further away from others. He focused more on his inventions and company than those around him. Those inventions had probably saved his life.

Hecate stumbled backwards and placed a hand to her face. Her mask covered her face, but as she pulled her hand away, there was blood. A loud curse left her, and Vulcan raised his cane. The bottom of it was open, and while Pluto didn't know what kind of device Vulcan built into his cane, he didn't want to see the aftermath.

The camera suddenly cut out, and the feed ended completely. Pluto frowned. Charon was the one who was controlling the laptop, and it was on a delay of a few seconds. If he was cutting out the feed, it could not be good. They had to stay the course though.

"I want the police and the government to put Olympian Plains on lock down," Pluto stated. He turned his head to look directly at the camera that was focused om him. "Stay home and out of the line of fire. This will not be pretty. The Olympians and any so called heroes or villains will be eradicated."

"Most of the Titans and Olympians have been killed, but some of them have survived," Pluto said. He studied the Olympian intently, as if he could see into the eyes of everyone who was watching. They had to understand how serious he was. "The Titans will not crawl out of their hole, but they are injured and will be flushed out."

"As for the Olympians, you will meet at the place where we began our story. If you are not there in twenty four hours, your children will pay the price," Pluto promised. He stood and looked down at Iris. "I suggest you stay here for now. When this is all said and done, you can report the truth to those who still care about it."

Pluto turned and walked away from the small set. He kept his gaze focused ahead. They had taken a huge step forward in their plans, even if everything didn't work out how he wanted it to. Taking out the Olympians and Titans was suppose to be done in one fell swoop, but plans rarely went how they were suppose to. Pluto planned for this though, and by the end of the week, the heads of his enemies and friends would be under his heel, one way or another.


	28. A Way Out

Reyna closed her eyes tightly and tried to ignore the throbbing in her jaw. It didn't matter how much ice she put against it or how much medicine she took, her jaw still ached. Reyna would need to go to the hospital, but that wasn't an option. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

"Just a little more," Thalia said. She studied the wall in front of her with a frown on her face. Reyna looked at the wall. It was cracked in multiple places, and another hit or two would allow them to break through the wall. Reyna sighed and glanced at Bianca.

Bianca was sitting next to her and studying her nearly broken finger. Reyna and Bianca had tried to use a battering ram to break down the wall, which ended rather poorly. Bianca almost broke her finger, and the force of the battering ram hitting the wall sent terrible shockwaves of pain through Reyna's jaw.

Hylla's attempts were going a lot better, but she was clearly getting frustrated. Each hit from the battering ram only seemed to put a dent in the wall, even with Hylla's enhanced strength. The continued pressure was going to cause it crack sooner or later, and they would be free. Hypothetically.

After they watched some of the broadcast, Hylla insisted that they couldn't just wait around for their original plan. When Bianca and Thalia asked why, Hylla snapped on them that she knew what was best. Reyna just cradled her jaw and used that as an excuse for silence. Thalia seemed to know they were hiding something though.

"You said that five tries ago," Hylla snapped. She backed up and then slammed the battering ram into the wall. It cracked a little more, and an angry growl escaped Hylla. She took a few steps backwards and then threw the ram at the wall. The ram hit the wall and then fell right through. "Oh. That works."

Reyna slowly stood and walked outside of the prison. She stared up at the sky and felt rain fall onto her face. Reyna took a shaky breath. She didn't know what was going to happen now, and it scared her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thalia staring down at her hand.

It looked like Thalia was trying to create lightning, but she wasn't having any luck. Reyna looked down. She had taken Thalia's powers from her after she fell asleep. Well, she thought that she did. Reyna didn't know how exactly it worked, so she kind of just grabbed Thalia's arm and hoped for the best. The effort had completely drained her, which hopefully meant it worked.

Reyna looked up, and for half of a second, she met Thalia's eyes. Thalia quickly looked away. Bianca spoke, "Where are we going from here?"

"To find the rest of the Olympians," Hylla answered. She looked at all of them and then looked away. Thalia kept her gaze focused on Hylla. Reyna sighed sadly, and she looked at the ground.

"What is going on?" Thalia demanded. She turned towards Reyna, but her gaze stayed on Hylla. "You two are acting really weird. Why did we have to leave all of a sudden?"

"We should tell them," Reyna muttered through her gritted teeth. It hurt to move her mouth too much. Hylla looked at her and shook her head. "They deserve to know."

"Hey!" Thalia suddenly yelled. "This isn't something that you two can argue about. Tell us now!"

Hylla crossed her arms and remained silent. Reyna slowly looked at Thalia and remained silent as well. Thalia suddenly grabbed her shirt and spoke, "What is going on, Reyna? Tell me, or I am going to knock the rest of your teeth out!"

Reyna flinched and thought back to how Thalia had shoved a gun into her face. There had been a crazy look in her eyes, and she had that same look now. Hylla shoved Thalia away and got in her face.

"Don't threaten my sister," Hylla snapped. Thalia got in Hylla's face as well. The two of them glared at each other.

"Enough," Reyna hissed. She gripped her jaw with one hand and used the other to shove Hylla behind her. "Stop fighting. We need to work together."

"Tell us what happened," Bianca said softly. She looked at Reyna. "You owe us that much."

"Pluto and his friends killed most of the Olympians," Reyna said softly. The look of heartbreak on Thalia's face sent a sick feeling through her gut. Thalia backed away, and she collapsed into a sitting position. The only thing Reyna wanted to do was hug Thalia and tell her it would be okay. "He put it on a broadcast for everyone to see. I'm sorry."

"They can't be dead," Bianca whispered. She sounded absolutely shocked. The heartbreak in her eyes was clear. "They can't."

"They are," Hylla said quietly. She took a deep breath. "We need to get the two of you to safety and to the rest of the Olympians. Then, we're leaving, Reyna."

"Leaving?" Reyna asked quietly. She studied Hylla for a few moments and frowned. "We can't just leave."

"This two are going to city hall. Then, we are finding Kinzie and leaving," Hylla stated. She grabbed Reyna's wrist. "Okay?"

"We can't just leave!" Reyna snapped. She jerked her wrist away and gripped her jaw.

"We are leaving," Hylla insisted. "This is not our fight."

"It is my fight," Reyna snapped. She glared at her sister. "It has been my fight ever since Bellona dragged me into this. Then, Kronos shot me in the head. I have been used and manipulated to hurt the people that I care about! I cannot let that happen anymore."

Hylla watched her for a long moment. Reyna just gripped her jaw and tried to ignore the pain from talking so much. Hylla looked down and finally spoke, "Okay."

Reyna nodded slightly. Hylla gently grabbed her arm, and they walked down the street. Bianca gently dragged Thalia behind her. They walked down the street until they ran into a parked car. Hylla glanced at them. Then, she slammed her elbow into the window.

"We're stealing a car?" Bianca asked. She looked at them hesitantly.

"Yes," Reyna muttered. She watched Hylla clear away the glass and sit in the driver seat. After a moment, Reyna walked towards Thalia. "I'm sorry. About everything. I'm going to make it up to you."

"No, you're not," Thalia stated. She turned Reyna with tears in her eyes. "This is your fault. All of this is your fault!"

"I know," Reyna whispered softly. She looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"Just leave me alone," Thalia snapped. She shoved past Reyna and sat in the back seat. Reyna stared at the ground and heard Hylla start the car. A hand gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Give her time," Bianca whispered softly. Reyna pulled away and didn't say a word. She sat in the passenger's seat and stared out the window. This was all her fault. She was the one who let Pluto out of prison, and somehow, she would make up for it.

* * *

"Just a little further," Hazel said softly. She could feel how tight Annabeth's grip was on her arm, but Annabeth was holding strong. Annabeth insisted that she walk out of the hospital on her own, even though the nurses insisted that she use a wheelchair. Annabeth won the battle on that one, but she did allow Hazel to gently grab her arm and steady her.

A limousine pulled up, and a small frown came to Hazel's face. They were going to be picked up by Minerva, after Venus and Mars got back to their base and took over watching cameras. Minerva would probably be a few minutes later, but they had just planned on hanging out at a bench.

"That's not for us, is it?" Frank asked. Hazel shrugged, but she saw a tall man step out of the limousine. Charon turned and walked towards them. For once, he wasn't wearing a tie, instead wearing just a button down shirt and vest.

Hazel really didn't like having a limousine driver. She already felt like a stranger in Pluto's residence, only really there because her mother had gone off the deep end long ago. Pluto felt bad enough that he had his lawyers reach out and had Bianca put in the custody of Kore. The woman didn't seem to mind Hazel too much, but she still felt bad, almost like a parasite.

Hazel didn't like to take anything from the father that she had never really met. That was why she never accepted rides from Charon, preferring to bike or walk with Frank. Charon walked towards them and spoke, "I have been asked to give you a ride."

"I thought you were going on vacation," Hazel began. Charon smiled and opened a door. Hazel and Frank helped Annabeth climb inside. They sat by her, and the door closed. Charon walked towards the driver's seat and sat inside.

"No," Charon said quietly. He started to drive. Hazel frowned and leaned on Frank. She saw Annabeth was already drifting off to sleep. Annabeth's eyes suddenly snapped open, and she slowly grabbed her phone.

"What's wrong?" Hazel asked quietly. She leaned over and looked at Annabeth's phone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Charon was watching them closely through the mirror.

"Hazel, why don't you and your friends just relax?" Charon asked. He pulled onto the highway and started to pick up speed. Hazel nodded and leaned back in her seat. Her eyes did move to the side. Annabeth was staring at the ground, and there was a look of shock on her face.

The doors near them locked, and the window that separated the two front seats from the back started to close. Annabeth spoke, "Hades is killing our parents."

Hazel stared and watched the window close completely. There was a barrier made of metal between the front seats and the back. In the middle of the barrier,there was a glass window that was large enough for a hand to pass through, but the window was now closed. It was also shatterproof and bulletproof.

"What are you doing?" Hazel demanded. She tried to open the door but couldn't Charon watched them quietly. "What is going on?"

"Your friends will be used as a bargaining chip," Charon said. Hazel stared at him in shock. "As for you, your father is free from Tartarus, and he wants you to come home."


	29. Ain't No Hero

Hylla put the car into park and sighed deeply. She laid her head against the headrest of the seat and closed her eyes. It didn't sound like Reyna was moving, but she heard a door behind her open and slam shut. That was Thalia storming away. Another door opened, which had to be Bianca. As that door closed, Hylla opened her eyes.

"We should just leave," Hylla began. Reyna didn't respond. She was just staring out the car window. Most of the ride had been spent with her head in her hands. The rest of it was spent with her staring out the window, looking as if she was going to say something. "There's no reason for us to stay."

"I have to fix my mistake," Reyna said softly. Hylla let out an irritated sigh. Her gaze focused on city hall. There was only a few cars outside, and she knew that they belonged to the remaining Olympians, if there was any remaining Olympians. This wasn't their fight, no matter what Reyna said.

"There is no mistake to fix," Hylla said. She gently grabbed Reyna's shoulder and gripped it. "None of this is your fault. I don't care what Thalia or anyone else says."

"It is my fault," Reyna insisted. She looked at Hylla. "When I was freeing the Titans from Tartarus, I was only suppose to free the Titans. Towards the end, I found a man locked in a cell. I didn't think it was fair for him to be stuck there like an animal, so I did what I thought was right."

"I freed Pluto from his cell, and now, he has gone on a rampage across this city. I have to stop it," Reyna continued. Her gaze moved back to the ground. "I have to make up for what I did."

"How are you going to stop it?" Hylla demanded. Reyna didn't look at her. "What is your grand plan for all of this? How do you plan on stopping someone who can kill a person just by touching them?"

"I don't know," Reyna hissed. She hit the car door angrily. "I just know that I have to help! That's what a hero does."

"We're not heroes!" Hylla snapped. She grabbed Reyna's jaw and forced her little sister to meet her eyes. "We are not heroes. Everyone called us villains because we broke the bones of criminals to keep them from committing crimes, but that isn't what makes us villains. It's what we do when our backs are to a wall, and Reyna, I won't be a hero today. I am not going down fighting. I am taking you and Kinzie, and we are leaving."

"I am a hero," Reyna hissed. She opened the car door and got out. Hylla cursed and got out as well. "When my back is to a wall, I am not going to run. I am going to fight and right my wrong."

"Will you listen to yourself?" Hylla demanded. She grabbed Reyna's arm and didn't let her move an inch. "Being a hero is what got you shot in the head! It is the reason that I almost killed myself multiple times because I thought that I caused you to die! It has ruined our lives!"

"There is no reason for us to stay," Hylla said in a calmer voice. She grabbed both of Reyna's shoulders. Her sister just stared at the ground. "There is nothing left for us here. Thalia hates you and will never want to be with you again. Our mother is dead. I killed her, and I don't feel bad about it. We can get Kinzie and your dogs and leave. What is stopping us?"

"I can't leave," Reyna whispered. She finally looked up. "If I leave now, I won't be able to look myself in the mirror. I'll know that I am nothing more than a monster who caused all of this death and destruction."

"Hades caused all of this," Hylla said. She tightened her grip on Reyna's shoulders. "He is the one who has planned to kill all of the Olympians and Titans. He is the one who killed them!"

"Who let him out of his cell?" Reyna asked. Hylla looked down and sighed. She let go of Reyna's shoulders. Reyna would not listen to a word that Hylla said. She was insistent on being a martyr.

Hylla didn't care if it was Reyna's fault or not. She didn't care who had freed Pluto from his cell. The man was bound to escape sooner or later and bring his so called brand of justice to Olympian Plains. Reyna was letting the words of someone who didn't care about her anymore go to her head.

"Fine," Hylla muttered as she made up her mind. She gripped the car keys in her hand and took a deep breath. Reyna studied Hylla's eyes for a moment. Then, she gently grabbed Hylla's arm.

"I love you, Hylla. You know that, right?" Reyna asked. "There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't think about you."

"There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't think about killing myself, because I lost you," Hylla said. Reyna flinched and looked down. She withdrew her hand and turned away. "I love you too, Reyna. And, I'm sorry."

Hylla wrapped her right arm around Reyna's neck, cutting off her sister's oxygen. Reyna gasped in shock. Hylla tried to ignore the guilt that she felt in her gut. Her sister would hate her for this, but she had to get them to safety. If that meant dragging her sister into unconsciousness long enough to shove her back in the car, that was what Hylla would do.

Reyna suddenly grabbed Hylla's hand and easily forced her arm away. Hylla's eyes widened, and she tried to bring her arm back to Reyna's throat. She found that she couldn't even pull her hand away. With Hylla's enhanced strength, she shouldn't have had any issues with Reyna escaping her grasp. Hylla's eyes widened as she realized that Reyna had stolen her powers.

Reyna pulled away completely and looked at Hylla. There was a look of pure betrayal on her face. Hylla spoke, "I love you too much to let you go through with this crazy plan."

"I'm sorry," Reyna said. She started to walk away. "You can join me if you want. Otherwise, get Kinzie and my dogs out of this place. I'll let you know when this is all over."

Hylla swore as she chased after Reyna. She grabbed Reyna's arm and spoke, "If I can't change your mind, I'm going to help you. I won't leave you.

Reyna nodded slightly and didn't say a word. Hylla looked down. Reyna finally spoke, "Will Thalia ever forgive me?"

"I don't know," Hylla admitted. She looked up. "After all of this is said and done, she is going to mourn the loss of her father and friends. It's possible she blames it all on you and won't want to see you again. It's also possible that she forgives you. I don't know what will happen, but it will take time."

"I still have feelings for her," Reyna admitted. She looked down. "Now that I know the truth, I just want to be with her. She hates me, and I took her powers. I've taken everything from her."

"We'll figure it out," Hylla said softly. She rubbed Reyna's shoulder. Reyna nodded and stared at the ground. She started to walk towards city hall. After taking a deep breath, Hylla followed.

This was the last place that Hylla wanted to be. It brought back too many bad memories. She had killed her mother here, and this is where she thought Reyna had died. What if Reyna did die this time, all because she thought she could be a hero?

Hylla sighed and looked down. She couldn't dwell on it. All she could do was focus on their next step. Hylla reached into her pockets and felt loose change. She moved towards a payphone and spoke, "I'm going to call Kinzie."

"I'll wait for you," Reyna said. She stood next to the payphone. There was an odd look on her face, like she was nervous. Hylla inserted her coins and dialed Kinzie's number. Her gaze stayed focused on Reyna. "What?"

"Are you scared to see them again?" Hylla asked. Reyna looked at her for a long moment and then nodded. "It will be fine."

"Will it?" Reyna asked. She practically collapsed against the wall and slid down it into a sitting position. Hylla frowned and heard someone answer the phone.

"Kinzie," Hylla said quickly. The line was silent for a few moments, and Hylla held her breath.

"Hylla? Are you okay?" Kinzie asked. It sounded like she was letting out a deep breath of her own. "Did Reyna find you?"

"She did," Hylla answered. She rested her head against the payphone. "We're safe. Are you?"

"I went to a hotel with the dogs," Kinzie answered. "We're fine. Where are you two?"

"City hall," Hylla answered. She took another deep breath. "Reyna wants to help against Hades, and I can't let her do it by herself."

"Reyna thought that Jupiter kidnapped you, but I know he didn't. I also saw what happened," Kinzie said. Her voice was full of worry and fear. "What happened?"

"Pluto, who is Hades, had me kidnapped, to protect me. He said it was a last wish on his son Nico that I don't suffer anymore. I reunited with Reyna. I'll explain everything when I see you next. I promise," Hylla said.

"Just stay safe," Kinzie whispered. "I don't want anything to happen to either of you."

"We'll return in one piece," Hylla whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kinzie said. She took a shaky breath and sounded like she was going to stay more. Instead, she hung up. Hylla hung up the phone as well.

"Is she mad?" Reyna asked quietly. Hylla sat next to her sister for a few moments.

"Just worried," Hylla said. Reyna nodded and stared at the ground. After a few moments, Hylla placed a hand to Reyna's back and rubbed it. Her sister looked at her. "Come on . Let's get inside and figure out how we're going to put a stop to this."


	30. Remnants

**To answer a review from a guest, I probably won't go too much into Reyna and Hylla's backstory other than a few mentions here or there.**

**I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.**

* * *

Reyna took a deep breath as she stared up at city hall. She wanted to walk inside, but her legs wouldn't let her. Reyna felt conflicted and confused about almost everything. The only thing she was clear on was the fact that she needed to make up for what she had done. Somehow, Reyna had to help the Olympians stop Hades.

But, who was left after all of that? Were any of the Olympians still alive? Was it just the kids? Would they accept Reyna, or would they think she was a traitor? Reyna took a deep breath and tried to calm her thoughts down. She reached up to open the door to city hall. It opened in front of her.

"Reyna," Minerva greeted. Reyna stared at her former teacher. The mind reader studied her with a small frown. If Minerva looked surprised to see her, she didn't say a word. Did Minerva forgive her for what happened last time? Reyna had been forced to subdue Minerva with a piper, and she never had time to apologize for doing it. "Hylla."

"How many are still alive?" Hylla asked quiet;y. She gripped Reyna's shoulder. Reyna tensed and pulled away from her sister. She was still upset from her sister trying to choke her into unconsciousness and then take her away from Olympian Plains.

"Not many," Minerva answered. She motioned for them to follow. "Come."

Reyna slowly followed Minerva inside. She saw that there was no normal workers around. It seemed like they had all been sent home, probably until all of this was over. Reyna took a shaky breath and followed Minerva deeper into city hall.

They finally stopped outside of a door. Minerva spoke, "Only two Titans survived. They are here as well. Stay behind me."

"Will they be hostile?" Hylla asked. She glanced at Reyna. "I know you didn't leave on the best terms."

"I'm sure they won't be happy to see me," Reyna muttered. She rubbed her arm and sighed in nervousness. Hylla looked like she was going to grab her again, but she hesitated. "Let's just get this over with."

The three of them stepped into the room. Reyna found herself immediately stopping and staring. Oceanus was standing across the room and had his arms at his side. Upon seeing Reyna, he tensed and swore up and down. His companion, Theia, slowly looked at her.

"You little bitch," Oceanus snapped. He stepped forward. Minerva stepped in front of Reyna. Hylla grabbed Reyna and pulled her backwards. "That is the bitch who betrayed us. She told Hades where we were!"

"He followed me," Reyna muttered. She slowly looked at her friends. All of them were staring at her. She tried to meet their eyes. After being gone for so long, this all felt weird. She felt sick to her stomach. Reyna looked down and closed her eyes tightly.

"We have to work together if we want to survive this," Minerva said. "That is the reason you two came here, is it not?"

"We can start our survival by wiping out a traitor," Oceanus said. It sounded like he was walking closer. "My wife is dead because of her!"

"I didn't," Reyna said. She opened her eyes and looked up. "They followed me back to the base, and when I learned the truth about what the Titans did to me, I confronted Mnemosyne. She tried to beat the shit out of me and take my memory again. Hades stopped her, and they took her. It happened right outside the front door, but you obviously didn't care enough to look."

Reyna took a deep breath and looked around the room. Theia had grabbed Ouranos and dragged him back to the chair. She sat him down and then studied Reyna quietly. The two of them had not interacted much, and she wasn't sure if Theia even cared about her.

On her right, Thalia was standing next to her brother. Jason was just staring at Reyna and looked to be in shock. It was like he couldn't process that she was alive. Piper was studying Reyna as well and seemed concerned. Leo sat in his chair and played with one of his tools.

"I have so many questions for you," Venus said quietly. Her eyes focused on Reyna. She didn't look like her normal self. Was she not wearing make up? "How did you survive getting shot in the head? What was it like with the Titans?"

"Good job staying focus on the task at hand," Vulcan muttered. He was leaning on his cane and looked like he was in pain. He looked around the table. "Is this everyone?"

"Everyone that we were able to locate," Minerva answered. "Everyone sit down. We have much to talk about."

Reyna slowly sat at the table. She felt Hylla try to grab her arm again. Reyna tensed but didn't pull away this time. Her gaze moved towards Thalia. All she wanted to do was pull Thalia aside and apologize to her. Reyna just wanted to make up for everything that had happened. She wanted everything to go back to normal.

"We could not figure out how Pluto managed to escape Tartarus," Minerva said. Her gaze moved to Reyna. "But, I have a feeling that you played a part in it."

"Yeah," Reyna muttered. She buried her face in her hands and tried to calm down. Reyna was sick to her stomach.

"Theia, start from the beginning. Why did Kronos shoot Reyna in the head?" Minerva asked. Reyna almost let out a relieved breath. She didn't know if she could repeat the story.

"Kid can take powers temporarily," Theia said. "We know this because her father served with Atlas, and he displayed powers like that. Kronos wanted to find a way to get the kid and enhance her powers. We staged the attack on city hall the get the nuclear material. It was a a lot of improvisation after Atlas died."

"Kronos staged the entire thing, and he shot the kid in the head. Tethys saved her from the river, and we had Asclepius bring the kid back. We've been training her ever since," Theia said. She studied Reyna with a small frown. "Kid posed as a guard escorting Khione, made it into Tartarus, and freed everyone."

"Which means she freed Hades. The death of my wife and friends is on her head," Oceanus said. Theia remained silent. Reyna looked away from them and felt even sicker. "This is all her fault?"

"I think it's the fault of the person who shot her in the head," Hylla snapped. She stood. "You bastards took my sister from me! You tore away months of her life for your evil plan."

"Enough," Vulcan said. He slammed his cane onto the table. "What happened at Tartarus? How did Hades get out?"

Reyna stared at the table and felt ready to vomit. After taking a deep breath, Reyna spoke, "I let him go free. The Titans kept telling me about how the Olympians ruled Olympian Plains and threw their dissenters away. Everything was twisted for me, and the Titans convinced me that they were the victims. I couldn't let anyone else be locked away."

"You can't manipulate the girl's memory and then blame her for everything," Venus commented. "Typical Titans."

"We'll see what is typical," Oceanus snapped. He tried to stand, but Theia stopped him. "My wife is dead."

"You are not the only one who has lost a loved one," Minerva said. "Our friends have died today as well, and we must focus if we want to survive. Theia, what was the plan for Reyna once you enhanced her powers?"

"Capture the Olympians and take their powers. Torture them. Then, do the same to their kids," Theia said. "We would have ruled the city after that."

"So, you're all just shitty people," Thalia snapped. She looked at Minerva. "We don't need to work with them. We just need to kill Hades and all of the people he works with."

"We can't just kill them," Venus said. She looked at Thalia. "Why don't you just calm down, sweetie?"

"Why don't you just go fuck yourself?" Thalia yelled. She jumped to her feet "My father is dead! The person that I see as a mother figure is dead! My powers were stolen from me! And, Hades is going to kill the rest of my friends and family because none of you are brave enough to do what we must!"

Reyna looked down. This was all her fault. She let Pluto out of prison, and everything that he did was on her head. Reyna stood and spoke, "Thalia, just stop and calm down. Please. I'm sorry."

A heavy weight slammed directly into Reyna's chest, and she was slammed into the table. Pain shot through her body, and a fist slammed into her mouth. Thalia brought her fist back again, but someone pulled her away. Reyna collapsed to her knees, and a small whimper of pain escaped her.

"Get the hell away from my sister," Hylla snapped. She shoved Thalia backwards. Minerva quickly moved between them.

"Jason, take Thalia out of here to calm down," Minerva said. Jason nodded and stood. He led Thalia out of the room. Minerva turned towards Reyna and offered a hand. After a moment, Reyna took it. She winced as she was pulled to her feet. "Why don't you and Hylla go for a walk?"

"I'm sorry," Reyna muttered. She placed a hand to her side. "For ruining everything. I'm sorry."

"Calm down," Minerva said softly. "I know your thoughts are all over the place. You just need to take a few minutes to calm down.

Reyna tried to look up at her friends. Instead, she stared at the ground and left the room. Reyna walked down the hall and heard someone behind her. Hylla grabbed her arm softly and spoke, "The two of us can just leave."

"I can't just leave," Reyna snapped. She placed a hand to her mouth and spat out a small amount of blood. Just talking caused her jaw to ache, and the punch hadn't helped either. "I have to make up for what I did."

"How are you going to make up for it?" Hylla demanded. She forced Reyna to look at her. "Thalia won't even look at you. She blames you for everything. The Titans hate you. How are you going to help them?"

"I don't know," Reyna snapped. Tears came to her eyes, and she looked up at Hylla. "I don't know, Hylla. I spent the last few months thinking that the Olympians were the enemy and were going to hurt you. Then, my entire world was turned upside down. I don't know what to do, Hylla. I just have to do something!"

Reyna hugged Hylla tightly and buried her face in Hylla's chest. She cried miserably. Hylla held her close and rubbed her back gently. Reyna just wanted to make things right. She just wanted to make up for what she had done.

"I'm here for you," Hylla whispered. Reyna shook her head and continued to cry. "I'm finally here for you. I promise."

"Tell me how to fix this," Reyna begged. Hylla didn't answer. Another cry left Reyna, and she hugged Hylla tighter. Reyna didn't know how she was going to fix what she had done, but she would find a way, even if it killed her.


	31. Rash Decisions

Thalia was shaking in rage. All she wanted to do was find Reyna and continue to punch her face in. Instead, she was left pacing around while Jason tried to calm her down. Jason was biting down on his finger as he watched her. Thalia kept pacing back and forth.

"Reyna is the reason our father is dead! Why should we trust her?" Thalia demanded. She turned on Jason. He didn't offer an answer. "That's what I thought. We shouldn't!"

"She was my friend too," Jason said softly. Thalia stopped walking and looked at him. "I missed her almost as much as you did."

"Who cares if I missed her?" Thalia demanded. "Our dad is dead because of her! She helped kill him!"

"Thalia, she's just a scared kid," Jason said. He looked down. "Reyna was just trying to save her own life. I'm sure she didn't have a choice in it."

"Reyna had a choice, and she decided to kill our father!" Thalia yelled at the top of her lungs. Why was Jason even defending Reyna? This was all Reyna's fault. She said it herself. Reyna let Hades out of the cell. If Hades never escaped, he would not have started to wipe out the Titans and the Olympians. Jupiter would still be alive.

"I think Reyna had the same amount of choice that you had on that bridge," Jason said. Thalia glared angrily at him. "I know you're upset, but you just need to calm down."

"I know exactly what I'm going to do," Thalia snapped. She stormed away from Jason. Thalia was going to find Reyna and finish the job. As she stepped back into the meeting room, she felt a tense silence. Her anger was gone as she saw a look of fear in Minerva's eyes.

There was a phone on the table. It looked like there was an ongoing call. Thalia stopped walking. She had seen that look in Minerva's eyes before. It was the same look she had when Annabeth was confronted by Mnemosyne and shot.

"What do you want?" Venus questioned. She stood and made it to Minerva's side. Venus grabbed her arm tightly. "You've already killed our family. What more can you want from us?"

"If I do not completely purge the cancer, it will continue to spread," Hades said. His voice sent shivers down Thalia's spine. She wanted to find him and wrap her hands around his throat. "I must kill all of the heroes and villains of this damned place. That is how I will save it."

"You're only creating more problems," Venus snapped. "Killing us will create a vacancy of power. Other criminals with powers will create war on the streets."

"And, we will kill them," Hades said. "The violence that will rule the streets is the fault of the Olympians. They allow the police of this place to grow complacent, relying on people who could turn on them at any moment. The Olympians forced my friends and I to take these drastic measures, and we are going to end this. Tonight."

"Leave my daughter alone. She has done nothing," Minerva whispered. Hades made a noise that sounded like a laugh. Thalia stepped forward, but Bianca grabbed her arm and put a finger to her lips. Thalia bit back her growl. Hades didn't know they were gone, yet.

"All of this is going to end," Hades said. "You and the remaining Olympians will hand yourselves over to us, or I will kill your daughter and that Frank boy. Is that simple enough for you?"

Bianca walked over to Minerva and gently grabbed the phone. She put it on mute and spoke softly, "We can negotiate. Use me as a bargaining chip. He won't let me be hurt."

Minerva studied Bianca for a moment. She didn't say a word. Venus grabbed the phone and took it off mute. She spoke, "We must speak of this first."

"You have five minutes," Hades said. Venus muted the phone again and put it on the table. The room was silent for a few moments. Thalia glanced at Bianca. She looked calm and relaxed, but she had to be putting on a front.

"Pluto does not know that you escaped?" Venus asked. Bianca shook her head. "Then, he will not believe that we found you and broke you out. I assume Thalia was your captive."

"She was," Bianca answered. "Reyna and Hylla were working with my father, but they didn't have a choice."

"They worked with Pluto, until they found the opportunity to escape," Venus said. She nodded to herself. "They took Bianca as a captive, and Thalia escaped as well. This will make the sisters a target. We must check with them first."

"Screw that," Thalia hissed. She grabbed the phone and turned the mute off. "Hey asshole! You shouldn't have left me alone with my ex. She still has feelings for me, and she let me go. After that, she kidnapped your daughter and brought her to us. We're going to trade Bianca for Frank and Annabeth. If you don't agree, we'll kill her."

Venus tried to grab the phone from Thalia, but she stepped away. Minerva was just staring in shock. Thalia didn't care if she was throwing Reyna under the bus. It was where she belonged. In fact, it only made sense. This was Reyna's fault, so she was going to be the target of Hades, which would force her to clean up her mess.

"You cannot just make that decision," Venus hissed.

"I just did," Thalia said. She slid the phone across the table and stormed out of the room. Thalia heard someone coming after her, and she turned towards them. Jason opened his mouth. "Do not talk to me. Just leave me alone."

"Thalia, this is extreme. You're playing with someone's life," Jason said. "Do you know what Hades is going to do to Reyna and Hylla because he thinks that they kidnapped Bianca?"

"I don't care," Thalia snapped. She shoved her finger into Jason's chest. "Why does no one care that our father is dead! Our family is dying around us. Are we just suppose to accept that!"

"There is nothing else we can do!" Jason yelled back. He looked at her, and for the first time, Thalia realized that there was tears in his eyes. He was barely holding it together. "If we can't come together as a group, we are going to be the next ones to die!"

"What is there to live for?" Thalia asked softly. She looked at Jason. "Our father is dead. My mentor, the woman that I saw as a mother, is dead. My powers are gone. My best friend is in danger. Hades isn't going to stop until all of us are dead."

"Which is why we have to come together," Jason whispered. "I know you do not want to, but we have to work with Reyna and Hylla. We have to work with the Titans. We have to work together. Please just keep your temper in check."

Thalia glared at Jason. She turned away and stalked down the halls. Tears came to her eyes. Thalia heard crying, and she stopped walking. She glanced to her right and saw one of the break rooms. After a moment, she reached her hand out to open the door.

Thalia had only heard that cry once or twice before. She felt her heart twist, and she looked away. It didn't matter if Reyna was crying. It didn't matter that she had only heard Reyna cry a few times. Thalia did not care. A shaky breath left her, and she looked down.

"Please tell me what to do," Reyna cried. Thalia tried to walk away, but her feet wouldn't let her. She looked down and closed her eyes. "I just want to make up for what I did."

"I know," Hylla said. It sounded like she was hugging Reyna. "I know, Reyna. Please just calm down. I don't know what you can do, but we'll figure it out together. You need to stop talking. I'm going to get some ice for your jaw."

Thalia backed away and sighed softly. Her emotions were a mess, and she couldn't focus. Thalia turned to leave, but she stopped. After taking a few deep breaths, she turned back around and stormed right into the room.

Reyna was sitting against the wall and had her head buried in her hands. Hylla was rifling through the freezer. Upon hearing the door, she turned. Then, she tensed. Hylla spoke, "Get out. Now."

"Why would you two help kill my father?" Thalia demanded. She took a step forward, but Hylla blocked her path.

"I will snap your arm like a twig," Hylla hissed. Reyna slowly stood and made it to Hylla's side. Hylla kept her sister back. "Just leave Reyna alone. She doesn't deserve anymore abuse."

"I'm sorry," Reyna whispered. Hylla turned on her. Reyna just stared into Thalia's eyes. "Please. I want to make this up to you."

"How do you plan on making this up?" Thalia asked. Reyna looked away. "How are you going to make up for helping kill my father? What about releasing Hades from Tartarus? How much blood is going to be on your hands after this?"

"Thalia, that is enough," Hylla snapped. "I am not going to let you talk to my sister like that! Reyna and I did what we had to do to survive. Why are you treating her like this?"

"Because she killed my father," Thalia snapped back.

"And you killed her!" Hylla yelled. She grabbed Thalia and slammed her into the wall. Her fist hit the wall next to Thalia's head, going straight through the drywall. "You made a decision on that bridge, and you decided to save your family. What is the difference between what you did and what Reyna did?"

"Stop," Reyna said softly. She grabbed Hylla's arm and pulled her away. "You're right, Hylla. Let's just leave. There is nothing for us here."

Hylla glared at Thalia but then stepped away. She gently grabbed Reyna's arm and pulled her away. Thalia spoke, "Hades thinks that you two freed me and kidnapped Bianca."

"Why does he think that?" Hylla demanded.

"Because Thalia told Pluto. She threw me under the bus because she doesn't give a shit about me," Reyna said. She met Thalia's eyes for a brief moment and then looked away. "I don't think she ever did."

Reyna turned and left the room. Hylla glared at Thalia. Then, she turned and left as well. Thalia watched them leave, and she felt tears come to her eyes. She sat down on the table and stared at the ground. Thalia felt hollow inside. She didn't know what was going to happen from here, but she didn't think things would ever be the same again.


	32. The Last Supper

"You should eat," Pluto said softly. He focused on the young girl sitting across from him. Hazel was staring at him with terrified eyes. She was rather young, really too young to be dating. Speaking of dating, her boyfriend, a young, but not as young as he should be, boy sat by her. He was staring at the plate in front of him.

It was a home cooked meal, probably the last one that they would have. Pluto was no fool. He knew this was the end of the line. Blood would be spilled, and only one side would survive. Hopefully, it was the side of justice. Pluto slowly looked around the table.

Kore sat on Pluto's left. She held onto his hand tightly and was eating with the other. Pluto gripped her hand. The two had been inseparable since Kore came back. He even helped her make the dinner. It had only taken a hour with the two of them working together. Would it be the last time that they worked together?

There was an empty chair on Pluto's right. It was reserved for Bianca, even though she had been taken from him. Why did he trust those two sisters? Pluto showed mercy, and it had the chance to cost him his family. He would not make the mistake of mercy again.

The chair next to Bianca's would have been for Hazel, but she wanted to be as far away as possible from him. Pluto understood that she know didn't him that well and was uncomfortable. This was all overwhelming. That was why he was not going to take the gesture to heart.

His eyes focused on that boy that his daughter was dating. Frank Zhang was staring back at him with terrified eyes. He hadn't even tried his steak. Who taught that boy his manners? Frank Zhang was not making a very good impression. He would need to do better, if he survived.

Annabeth Chase was sitting back in her seat and staring at Pluto. She was still pale and a little shaky. Pluto did feel bad about stealing the girl away when she just got out of the hospital, but she was a necessary hostage, considering she was the daughter of Minerva.

The original plan was to trade the three children for the lives of the remaining Olympians. Everything was complicated by the two sisters freeing Thalia and taking Bianca captive. Pluto looked at the empty seat on his right. He would get his daughter back, one way or another.

The new plan was to meet at the dawn of the next day. The remaining Olympians would bring Bianca to a neutral meeting point. They would exchange Bianca for Frank and Annabeth. If they wanted Hazel, they would have to hand over the two sisters as well. Pluto was no fool though. He knew Minerva had something up her sleeve.

Pluto sighed tiredly and looked at the three Kindly sisters. Tisiphone and Alecto sat on either side of the three kids, with Megaera sitting between Hazel and Frank. The three Kindly sisters cut their steaks at the same time, lifted their forks at the same time, and chewed at the same time. Even after all these years, it was a mixture of mesmerizing and scary how in sync the three were. Pluto would swear that they even put the same amount of salt on their steaks, and if he was a betting man, he would put a few grand on it.

Letus was staring down at his food and did not look that hungry. He ate a few bites to be polite, but his mind was clearly in another place. Well, two places. Letus was upset that he let one of his quarry get away, and he was also focused on Hecate.

Hecate's battle against Vulcan had not gone well. Vulcan had built a gun into his cane, and he used it to blow out Hecate's knee. There was also a knife built into his cane that he used to swipe at Hecate's face and cut her across the forehead. Thankfully, that cut wasn't that deep, but the injury to her knee was concerning.

Charon placed a glass of wine down in front of Pluto, despite Pluto's earlier protest. Charon fell into his old habits, but it also seemed to bring him some amount of comfort. At this moment, they all needed whatever comfort they could find. Charon took his seat once again and ate quietly.

Pluto moved his gaze towards another empty chair. That chair should have been for Nico. His son should have been eating dinner with them. He shouldn't be dead, unfairly taken from the world. Pluto felt his throat starting to constrict. Had they given Nico a funeral? Was he treated with respect?

After all of this was over, Pluto would visit his son's grave. He would make sure it was something that Nico deserved. Kore rubbed his hand, as if she sensed his dark thoughts. Pluto looked at her and smiled slightly. His gaze moved around the table. He wished it was full.

Pluto could imagine Bianca and Nico sitting at table. Bianca would chide Nico for not eating his vegetables, and Nico would promptly ignore her. The two would have their little argument, but it would be forgotten by dessert. Hecate would watch over the two with a small smile, and when he thought no one was looking, Letus would grab her hand.

But, that was a perfect world. Pluto did not live in a perfect world. He sighed and closed his eyes. The only comfort he held in his heart is that he knew no one at the table would betray him. Annabeth Chase and Frank Zhang would be tied up, and precautions would be taken to keep them from using their powers. Hazel would be too terrified to do anything. Even if one of the three did try something, Pluto would expect it. He wouldn't see it as a betrayal, more like desperate actions of a brainwashed child.

His loyal friends would never betray him, and his daughter Bianca could not harm him. How scared was she? Were the Olympians hurting her? Pluto took a deep breath. He could not dwell on those thoughts. He needed to stay focused.

"This is wrong," Annabeth Chase suddenly said. Pluto slowly looked at the girl. Annabeth met his gaze. She had the same look of pride in her eyes that her mother always did. "You can't just murder all of the Olympians."

"Is it murder to kill someone who has shed blood?" Pluto asked. He sat forward and studied the girl. Annabeth kept her gaze, but she seemed to be shaking slightly. "Your mother has killed many people in her time. The same goes for all of the Olympians. They have shed more blood than you can begin to imagine, but they could not shed the blood of monsters."

"We should have killed the Titans," Pluto continued. "Think about it, girl. How many lives have the Titans taken? How many lives have they ruined. They have broken out of Tartarus not once but twice now, and there has been bodies along the way. How many children are at home waiting for a parent who will never return? How many small time crooks have been inspired by the acts of the Titans and the leniency that was shown to them?"

"The Titans are evil, but that doesn't mean they should have been killed," Frank Zhang interrupted. Pluto focused on the boy and scowled. "The Olympians are good people who have dedicated their lives to keeping everyone safe."

A harsh laugh left Pluto. He spoke, "Safe? Do you think the Olympians have been keeping everyone here safe, or have they been driven by their most base desires? Your father is Mars, correct? Do you know why he became a police officer? It wasn't to put his life down in the line of duty. It was so he could bully and harass those around him and then hide behind a badge."

"That whore girlfriend of his uses her news station to manipulate the opinion of the people. Anyone who the Olympians does not like will be scrutinized and torn apart in the news. But, she'll just call it harmless gossip. It isn't so harmless when it has caused multiple people to end their lives because they could not take the lies and harassment anymore."

"And the shining beacon of the Olympians, my brother Jupiter, was nothing more than a fraud. All he cared for is money and power," Pluto said. He could feel his anger rising, and he tried to calm himself. "You know the hotel here that was dedicated to Jupiter? Do you know how it was created?"

"It was in the perfect part of town, near a major highway and with a beautiful view of the river near us. The only problem was the building that laid on top of the space. It was an old apartment complex that had fallen astray with the homeless taking refuge. Jupiter couldn't just kick these people out. Everyone would think that he did not care for the poor that he pretended to champion, and at this time, Venus did not have her tight grip on the minds of the people."

"Do you know what Jupiter did? He flooded drugs into that area. Told a few gangs that the cops didn't go there, so they could set up shop. After a couple months of gang violence and drugs ruling the streets, the police raided the apartment complex. Everyone inside was arrested, regardless of involvement. As the police sorted out who was who, Jupiter and his crew moved in to destroy the building and make his hotel. How many people suffered for his greed?"

"They have brainwashed you, but I have seen behind their tricks. They will not manipulate this place anymore," Pluto stated. He stood. "Eat now or don't eat at all. We will leave soon."

Pluto turned and left the dining room. He walked towards the room they were using as an infirmary. Hecate was inside and laying on a bed. Her eyes were reading over a battered and worn book. The front cover was bound in leather, but the title had long been worn away by use.

"How do you feel?" Pluto asked softly. Hecate looked up at him. Her face was pale and gaunt. She sighed and looked down at her leg.

"Weak," Hecate said quietly. "Tired. And upset that I have delayed our plans once again."

"You haven't," Pluto said. He sat by her. "You will stay here and rest. We will be back with Bianca before you know it. "

"Stay safe," Hecate said softly. "Is there nothing that I can do to help?"

Pluto looked down at Hecate once again. Her left leg was carefully bandaged, but her right leg was fine. Pluto thought about it and spoke, "If you are feeling up to it, we can have you drive. There is a special errand that must be ran."


	33. Contents Under Pressure

What do you do when you have to volatile elements that shouldn't be together? If you were the supposed genius Minerva, you put them in the same room on camera duty. Thalia sighed in annoyance and glanced behind her. Reyna was sitting at the opposite desk and staring down at a laptop that controlled the cameras.

Reyna was too injured to go anywhere, so she was sitting in the most secure part of city hall. There was only one entrance to it, and the door could only be opened from the inside. Thalia was forced to stay behind because everyone was worried that her emotions would get in the way, and she was also powerless, thanks to Reyna.

Really, there was nothing stopping Thalia from charging across the room and beating Reyna to a bloody pulp, other than the handcuff on Thalia's wrist. It was pathetic really. The adults didn't trust her enough to not kick the shit out of Reyna, which didn't make sense really.

Thalia sighed and glance down at her chair. It was a swivel chair with wheels, so she could hypothetically roll herself across the room and slap Reyna upside the head. Instead, she focused on the cameras. There was another thing that Thalia hated about camera duty. It was the fact that every time she watched the cameras, something bad happened.

"Check," Thalia muttered into her ear piece. The adults, Titans included, had cameras attached to their vests. All of them had earpieces. The kids were going to be the drivers. Minerva didn't think that Pluto would blow up the car or cause a wreck if the kids were driving. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Unfortunately," Oceanus said. His yelp was heard through Theia's earpiece.

"Ignore him. I'm checking in," Theia said. Vulcan grunted for his check in. Venus and Piper were too busy talking about something, but they were talking so fast that Thalia couldn't follow. She just wished that they would finish their conversation before trying to check in.

"Reyna, how are you doing?" Hylla asked. Thalia sighed and closed her eyes. Hylla was going as back up muscle, but she was suppose to stay in the background. "Have you been icing your jaw?"

"Yeah," Reyna muttered. Her voice was so quiet that Thalia barely heard it. It took a moment for Thalia to look across the room. Reyna was staring down at the laptop, and only half of the cameras were on. It was the same half that Thalia had turned on when she was showing Reyna how to use the laptop.

"You going to turn those on?" Thalia muttered. Reyna nodded slightly, but all she did was stare at the laptop. Reyna made no movements to do anything. She just stared at it. "Are you trying to get everyone killed?"

"Just leave me alone," Reyna muttered. She stared at the laptop and slowly moved her hand over the keyboard. Thalia pushed herself towards Reyna and grabbed her arm. "I'm getting it."

"Then get it," Thalia snapped. Reyna glared and shoved Thalia's chair away Thalia stood, but the handcuff stopped her from strangling her ex. "Just change the fucking camera already."

"I don't remember how to!" Reyna snapped. Her voice was almost as loud as a yell. Reyna's cheeks reddened, and she looked down. Her hand moved to jaw.

"How can you not remember?" Thalia snapped. Reyna glanced up, and their eyes met. Thalia looked at the scar on Reyna's forehead, from where she had been shot. Thalia let out a deep breath and showed Reyna how to change the cameras.

Reyna listened silently and slowly changed the rest of the cameras. They were also patched into the security cameras that the meeting place would be at. Thalia spoke softly, "Does that happen a lot?"

"Not being able to remember what I'm doing five seconds after I start doing it?" Reyna asked. She glanced at Thalia. "Everyday. I keep walking into a room and forget why I was there. I've taken to writing it down on a piece of paper, or I will forget."

Thalia nodded and looked down. She walked towards a notebook pad and wrote the directions into it. Then, she placed it by Reyna and walked back to her own laptop. Thalia ran through the rest of her checks and then stared at the laptop.

They were surrounded by computers and monitors. A large monitor on the back wall showed all of the cameras. Reyna scrolled through each one to test all of them. Thalia slowly watched her. It looked like Reyna was still struggling to remember, as she kept one eye on the paper and the other on the monitor.

After taking some time to calm down, Thalia was still pissed. She kept trying to count to ten and all that inhale and exhale stuff. It wasn't working. At all. Thalia didn't want to get rid of her anger though. She wanted to make someone hurt just like she did. Hades would work, but she could live if it was one of his friends.

How did a monster like that even have friends? Who decided to work with Hades? Was he threatening them, or were they psychopaths as well? Thalia didn't plan on finding out. She just planned on finding a way to handle them.

"Thalia," Reyna muttered quietly. Thalia debated just pretending that she didn't hear Reyna. It would be easier than trying to hold a conversation with her, but at the same time, it could be something important. Thalia bit back her angry sigh and took a few moments.

"What?" Thalia finally asked. She glanced back at Reyna and saw that Reyna was just staring at her. "Is is something with the cameras?"

"Why did you tell Pluto that we kidnapped Bianca? Why would you throw us under the bus like that?" Reyna asked. Thalia looked away and felt the guilt rising. She used anger to shove it back down.

"We have a job to focus on," Thalia said. She looked back at the monitors.

"They're in a car, Thalia. They haven't made it to the meeting place. Did those months of dating mean nothing? Did the years of friendship mean nothing? How can you just turn your damn back on me like that?" Reyna demanded. Thalia looked down as she heard footsteps moving closer to her. "Even if I was pissed at you, I would never do that."

"You don't get it, do you?" Thalia demanded. She turned to face Reyna. "You freed Pluto, and then, you helped him kill my father! I understand you don't know what it is like to have a loving parent."

Before Thalia could continue, a fist slammed into her mouth, and her head snapped to the side. Thalia spat blood out. Then, she launched herself from the chair and into Reyna. The two slammed into the ground, with the chair falling on top of them.

Thalia raised her fist, but Reyna grabbed her hand. Reyna spoke, "You don't know a damn thing about my family."

"Oh, I do," Thalia snapped. She moved in closer to Reyna's face. "I know that your father was abusive, and I know that your mother was a piece of shit, but do you even remember that? Do you even remember how she died?"

Reyna's other fist slammed into her mouth. Thalia gasped as Reyna pinned her to the ground. Reyna spoke, "I have gone through hell and back these last few weeks, and all I want is my family back. You are trying to take that away from me. If Pluto get his hands on Hylla."

"He'll kill her just like he killed my father," Thalia interrupted. Reyna grabbed her throat with both hands. "Go ahead and do it."

"I can't believe I dated you," Reyna hissed. She stood and walked a few feet away. Reyna crouched down and gripped her injured jaw. "Did you ever care about me?"

"Of course I did," Thalia snapped. Reyna slowly looked at her. "I enjoyed every damn second that we spent together."

"Then why are you doing this?" Reyna demanded. She cursed and gripped her jaw again. "Why are you treating me like shit?"

"Because you helped kill my father," Thalia said. Reyna shook her head and stood. She walked back towards her chair, cradling her jaw. "Because if I don't blame you, I will blame myself. I will feel all of the hatred and guilt that I have been shoving deep inside, ever since I thought I lost you."

"When I thought you were dead, it tore me apart. The world felt wrong, shattered. And, all I could do was blame myself. I didn't dwell on it though. I tried to shove it out of my mind," Thalia whispered. She stared at the ground and felt tears come to her eyes. "If I thought about you, I would think about how I told Kronos to shoot you in the head. I chose my father over you, and I hate myself for it. Every damn day I hate myself."

"Every fucking day I think about how I let you die, and I just gave up on you. I didn't try to investigate. I didn't try to question Kronos about what had happened. If I had looked for you, I could have found out what the Titans were doing. We could have save you. I could have prevented all of this," Thalia whispered. She heard Reyna kneel by her.

"I was shot in the head and kicked off a bridge. I wouldn't have looked for me either," Reyna said softly.

"But, you would," Thalia said. Tears started to stream from her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. "If the roles were reversed, I know you wouldn't have rested until you found the body or found proof that I was alive. You would not have given up on me."

Thalia slowly looked up. Reyna was studying her quietly. There was tears in her eyes as well. Thalia gently grabbed Reyna's face and spoke, "I'm so sorry, Reyna. I'm so sorry for everything."

Reyna pulled Thalia close and didn't say a word. Thalia rested her face in Reyna's shoulder. She felt Reyna stiffen. Then, a gun cocked. A man spoke, "Both of you stand up."

"Don't," Reyna began. Her left hand let go of Thalia, but her right hand didn't. "Just put the gun down."

"You have three seconds to stand," the man said. Thalia saw Reyna's left hand starting to move. She saw the barrel of a gun that Reyna was taking out from her waistband. Then, a gun fired. Reyna yelled in pain, and Thalia quickly stood.

Thalia turned and stared at Charon. The butler studied her quietly and moved his gun to point at her. Thalia didn't care though. She looked at Reyna and knelt by her. Reyna gripped her bloody forearm. It looked like the bullet had torn completely through her forearm.

Thalia's eyes moved to the gun that had fallen from Reyna's grasp, but before she could lunge for it, Charon fired his gun again. Thalia tensed as the bullet missed her by inches. Charon spoke, "There will be no more warning shots. Stand."

"Let me take care of Reyna first. Then, I'll do whatever you want," Thalia said. Charon studied her for a moment and then picked up the fallen gun. Thalia helped Reyna wrap her arm in her shirt. "Hey. Calm down. Breathe."

Reyna rocked back and forth slightly. She cursed and closed her eyes tightly. Thalia turned and looked at Chiron. She spoke, "How did you get in here?"

Charon held up a small ID card, and Thalia tensed as she realized it had belonged to her father. Charon spoke, "The two of you are coming with me. Now."

"I'm going to get us out of this," Thalia whispered as she looked back at Reyna. She slowly helped her stand. "Just trust me."


	34. Cost of Mercy

Bianca was more than a little nervous for what was going to happen. The last thing she wanted to do was be in the hands of her father, but everyone kept promising her that it wouldn't get that far. Bianca was scared though. This world of heroes and monsters was new to her, and it got Nico killed.

Bianca blinked away her tears and looked around the car. Percy was driving and had his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Bianca played with the radio and tried to calm down. Her nerves were getting out of control, and her heart was racing. She looked behind her and saw Vulcan was playing with some pieces of metal.

"Everything is going to be fine," Percy promised. Bianca glanced at Percy. He was normally relaxed, but now, he was extremely tensed. The worry was clear in his eyes. Did he even believe his own words? Percy glanced at her. "We'll get all three of them back, and we'll put your father back in prison."

"I don't think he will let you do that without a fight," Bianca whispered. Percy nodded his agreement but didn't say a word. Bianca sighed and focused out the window.

"Check," Thalia muttered in Bianca's ear. Bianca jumped and moved a finger to her earpiece. Thalia and Reyna had stayed behind to watch over the cameras and help them communicate. Bianca really hoped the two didn't kill each other first. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Unfortunately," Oceanus said. He yelped loudly, and it seemed to echo. Oceanus was driving in a car with Hylla, Theia, and Minerva. They couldn't exactly trust the Titans fully, so they had them in the car with the mind reader.

"Ignore him. I'm checking in," Theia said. She seemed to be the most level headed and kinder of the two. Bianca still didn't trust them though. Piper and Venus both checked in by seemingly putting their hands on the earpieces as they spoke. The two shared a car with Leo and Jason.

"Reyna, how are you doing?" Hylla asked. "Have you been icing your jaw?"

Bianca winced and looked down. She really didn't mean to hurt Reyna. All Bianca wanted to do was defend Thalia and escape. After a few moments, Reyna spoke, "Yeah."

The rest of them checked in. As they did, Bianca stared at her arms. She was wearing handcuffs that dampened her powers, not that she would use them anyway. Bianca could never harm her father or his friends. It didn't matter what they did.

Bianca knew the extent of her powers, when she accidentally killed their childhood dog. Their mother had just buried it and calmed her down. Bianca knew her power had grown as she had, and with just a touch, she could kill a man. But, Bianca vowed to never use her powers like that.

As Bianca closed her eyes, she tried to relax, but how could she relax? Minerva had already promised that no harm would come to Bianca. As soon as Annabeth and Frank were handed over, their plan would spring into action. Bianca knew she didn't have anything to worry about. Despite her apprehension over her father, she knew that he would never hurt her intentionally. The other heroes were a different story. Pluto would kill them.

This entire meeting was some kind of trap. All of them knew that, but they weren't sure where or when the trap would be sprung. They just had to be vigilant. Bianca stared out the window and thought of all the ways that this could go wrong.

As they got closer to their destination, Bianca's nerves grew and grew. She didn't want her friends to be hurt. She didn't want her father to be hurt. Bianca didn't want any of this to happen. She had found a makeshift family with the Olympians, but now, most of them were dead. She didn't want to lose anyone else.

Minutes passed, and Bianca tried to keep calm. When she finally opened her eyes, the car was stopping. Percy got out and hold the door open for her. Bianca smiled slightly and got out of the car. She quickly lost her smile as she saw her father standing across the street. Bianca slowly looked around.

The street they stood on had large buildings on each side. The buildings were in disrepair, so it seemed like they were in an abandoned part of town. That was good. No one would be caught in the crossfire, and the survivors wouldn't have their identities uncovered. As she looked across the street, her heart jumped to her throat.

Bianca stared at her father. He stood calmly in his robes and mask. Even if he didn't have that mask on, she knew his face would be unreadable. Bianca looked around at her father's friends, but two of them were missing. One was Hecate, who, according to Vulcan, had her knee blown out and wouldn't be very useful. The other was Charon, but Bianca knew the butler was watching over them. It was just a matter of who his scope was trained on.

Bianca looked at her father's friends. Three old ladies stood behind Pluto, and they were holding Annabeth and Frank hostage. Kore stood to Pluto's left and had a hand to his shoulder. Hazel was nowhere in sight. Bianca felt like she was forgetting someone, but she couldn't voice it without it being suspicious. She just hoped Minerva was reading her mind.

"Thalia, report in," Minerva said. She placed a hand to her earpiece. Bianca felt Percy and Jason grab her arms. They both muttered apologizes before dragging her into the view of her father. Pluto tensed and went to step forward, but Kore gently grabbed his arm. "Thalia. Report."

Bianca didn't hear an answer in her earpiece. She didn't have to worry about her father seeing her earpiece, as it was hidden by her beanie. Minerva spoke again, "Reyna? Are you there?"

Bianca's heart clenched as she didn't hear a response from either of them. Minerva spoke, "Hylla, go. Now."

A car door slammed shut, and one of the cars peeled away. A small smile came to Pluto's face. He spoke, "Hand my daughter over."

"What did you do?" Minerva questioned. There was a small frown on her face, and it looked like she was concentrating. Venus and Vulcan stepped to Minerva's side. Theia and Oceanus stood between the remaining Olympians and their kids.

"I have done nothing," Pluto answered. "I'm sure that your mind reading will tell you the same thing."

"You are lying," Minerva stated. "What did you do to Thalia and Reyna?"

"Nothing. Yet," Pluto answered. He studied Minerva. "But, I figured that I needed more leverage, especially with you. I don't plan on killing the two, but I will hurt them, Minerva. Reyna took my daughter from me. And, I have to go through this to get her back."

"You have to go through this because you kill anyone who stands in your way," Minerva stated. Pluto remained silent. "If you did not kill those criminals, we would not have put you in Tartarus. It is time that you own up to your mistakes."

"My mistakes?" Pluto demanded. "How many innocent people have you and the others put into jail? How many people have you caused the death of? Do you really think that burying yourself in a normal life and trying to teach the future generation is going to make up for the things you have done? You are wrong."

"Just hand yourself over, Pluto. There is no need for this," Minerva stated."Surrender."

"And go back to prison? Be separated from my daughter again? Never," Pluto said. "There are two people that I love in this world, and I will not spend another second apart from them. Now, give me Bianca."

"Send Annabeth and Frank over first," Minerva said. Pluto made a noise that was Bianca assumed was a chuckle, but it sent shivers down her spine.

"I will send the boy as you send Bianca. Then, I will send your daughter over," Pluto said. Minerva reluctantly nodded. Bianca felt Percy gently squeeze her shoulder and then shove her forward. Bianca stumbled and slowly walked towards her father.

Frank was shoved forward as well, and he slowly walked towards Bianca. As the two met, Frank watched her with terrified eyes. It looked like he was trying to keep himself from freaking out. Bianca felt the same. The two passed each other, and Bianca tried to increase her pace. She had to make it look like she wanted to be with her father.

As Bianca made it to her father's side, he grabbed her shoulder and spoke softly, "Are you hurt?"

Bianca shook her head. Kore gently rubbed her shoulder and pulled her backwards. Annabeth was pulled to her feet and shoved forward. It took a moment, but Annabeth slowly started to walk. Minerva suddenly tensed, and she spoke, "Don't!"

Minerva turned towards Oceanus and grabbed his arm. Bianca heard a gun fire, and she tensed as blood hit her face. It took a few moments for her to realize the blood wasn't her own. She saw that Theia was holding onto the gun, and a cruel grin was on her face.

Oceanus had a hand to his belt, and the three remaining Olympians had rushed towards him. No one had even attempted to stop Theia, or they didn't realize she had a gun. Bianca felt her heart drop, and she slowly turned towards her father. Pluto was staring with wide eyes. Bianca looked down and stared at Kore. There was blood pouring from Kore's neck.

"Kore," Pluto whispered. He fell to his knees beside her. Bianca heard the sounds of struggling from the Titans and Olympians.

"What are you doing?" Vulcan demanded.

"Avenging our dead," Theia answered. Bianca just stared down at Kore. Pluto was trying to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't working. Bianca realized that the three old ladies had fanned out. Bianca slowly looked back at her friends.

"Get to the cars," Minerva ordered. Vulcan had his cane pressed to Theia's chest. Venus had Oceanus pinned to the ground. Bianca glanced at the cars, and a gasp left her as a saw the shadow of a man. Letus stepped out of the shadows, and he grabbed Jason by his neck.

"Do not move," Letus ordered. Bianca stared at her friends. Most of them had turned to Jason. Vulcan didn't take his eyes off of Thiea, and as Venus held Oceanus down, she looked around. "Or, I will kill him."

"Go ahead," Oceanus snapped. "We don't care about the boy!"

"You offer protection for these two villains, and no sooner have you turned your back that they put a knife into it," Letus stated. Bianca looked down at Kore and saw that Pluto was cradling her head. There was a few tears in his eyes.

Bianca knew she needed to get away from her father, but before she could move, a hand grabbed her shoulder tightly. She was pulled backwards. Pluto held her close and backed away with her, behind the three old ladies. Pluto spoke, "I am tired of paying the cost of mercy. Kill them all."


	35. The End of Us

"It's going to be okay," Thalia whispered softly. She slowly looked around the back of the van and felt sick to her stomach. A terrible sense of deja vu settled over her, and it made her want to vomit. Thalia took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. She needed to stay focused. "Are you still with me?"

Reyna nodded but didn't say a word. Her face was starting to pale, and her pain was clear. Thalia looked down and continue to bandage Reyna's arm. When they had first been thrown into the back of the van, they were given a first aid kit. Thalia was doing her best to keep Reyna from bleeding out. She didn't know how long they had been in the van for, but it had been at least twenty minutes.

"I'll try to get you some pain medicine," Thalia whispered. Reyna nodded slightly, and she rested her head back against the van. Thalia knew that Reyna had gone through a lot the past few days, and it was all catching up to her. "Just stay awake."

Thalia finished bandaging Reyna's arm and then looked around the van. Should she sit next to Reyna? Should she sit across from her? After a few moments of debate, Thalia settled in next to Reyna, and the two of them sat in silence. It wasn't awkward or tense, but Thalia's stomach still felt like it was doing flips.

Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia watched Reyna's eyes drift open and close. All Thalia could do was stare, but the only thing she wanted to do was help. This was all her fault. If she hadn't been yelling at Reyna, they would have noticed someone sneaking in. If Thalia hadn't provoked and insulted Reyna, they wouldn't have been distracted. They would not have been at a disadvantage. Thalia tried to relax and felt the minute slowly pass by.

_Do whatever he says._

"What?" Thalia asked. Her head shot up, and she looked to her side. Reyna was cradling her jaw with one hand and had her injured arm held close to her. It took a few moment for Reyna to look at her. "What did you say?"

"I didn't," Reyna muttered. She looked back at the ground and rubbed her jaw. Thalia looked down and tried to keep her own calm. She rubbed her eyes and tried to think her way out of the situation. Thalia was powerless and weaponless. Reyna was too injured to put up a fight, and Charon was a master marksman.

_I'm sorry for not telling you. I'm sorry for everything._

Thalia blinked and felt a sharp pain in her knee. She moved her hand down to her leg but felt nothing wrong. Thalia took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She wasn't going crazy, and she wasn't hearing things. It was just the stress of the situation. That what it was.

All Thalia needed to do was keep calm and shove her fear aside. They would find a way out of this. It wouldn't end up like last time. It couldn't. After a few moments, Reyna leaned on her.

"How are you feeling?" Thalia asked quietly. She hesitantly wrapped her arm around Reyna, and when Reyna didn't fight, Thalia pulled her close. It didn't take long for Reyna to lean on her completely.

"Bad," Reyna whispered. She closed her eyes. "Hurts to talk. Arm burns. I hate this so much."

"I'm so sorry about this," Thalia said. She was glad that Reyna had her eyes closed because Thalia didn't think she would be able to make eye contact. Guilt tore through her, and she felt terrible. "This is all my fault."

"Be quiet," Reyna said. Her hand moved back to her jaw, and pain crossed her face. "It's not."

"But it is," Thalia argued. She closed her eyes. "I didn't even go to your funeral. What kind of person skips out on their girlfriend's funeral?"

"We did break up," Reyna muttered. A pained smile came to her face. Thalia shook her head and tried to get rid of the guilt that filled her chest. Reyna had died because of Thalia before, and she was hurt now.

Thalia looked down. She almost wished that her and Reyna didn't have their earlier talk. It was so much easier just to be mad at her. Now, Thalia's feelings were all over the place. Guilt was the most prominent. Followed by anger and sadness.

_If you want to talk about this after we get out of here, I'm willing to talk. I want to save this relationship._

Thalia tensed and cursed softly. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Thalia spoke, "I'm sorry, Reyna. I am so sorry. I'm just an idiot with a temper."

"You were my idiot," Reyna said softly. Thalia slowly turned her head, and the two were only inches apart. As Thalia started to lean in, the doors opened. Thalia quickly turned, and she found herself face to face with a pistol.

"Out," Charon ordered. Thalia held up her hands and slowly got out of the van. Reyna followed her even slower. Thalia looked around their surroundings. They were in some kind of garage. "Forward. Towards the door."

"We're going," Thalia said. She gently helped Reyna walk towards the door that was across the garage. She heard the sound of someone getting out of the van. Reyna glanced behind them and spoke, "It's just the two of them."

_This is where justice was killed._

"One has a gun," Thalia hissed. Reyna remained silent. "We can't take them on."

"What should we do then?" Reyna demanded. Thalia didn't have an answer for that. She just led Reyna forward. Thalia knew that Charon was a sharpshooter, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill Reyna.

"We wait for an opportunity," Thalia finally whispered. Reyna shook her head but didn't argue. As they made it to the door, it was thrown open. Thalia stopped walking and found herself face to face with Hades. She stepped in front of Reyna.

"You're not going to hurt her," Thalia stated. She stared Hades in his eyes. "I lied to you about Bianca."

"Enough," Hades interrupted. He walked towards them. The door behind him opened, and Bianca slowly stepped into the garage. Thalia stared at Bianca, and Bianca stared back. There was fear in her eyes. "My friends gave their lives and freedom, so I could escape with my daughter."

"And, you captured me and Reyna. You do know that everyone is going to come looking for us," Thalia stated.

_They're just kids_

"And, they will die. No one is going to keep me from my daughter," Hades growled. He walked closer to her.

_They may be kids, but they pretend to be heroes._

Reyna gripped Thalia's shoulder and pulled her backwards. She suddenly stopped. Thalia glanced behind them and saw that Charon was on their heels and aiming his gun at their backs.

_Thalia Grace is going to learn what it means to be a hero. She is going to learn what it means to make hard decisions._

"Leave Reyna alone. She is innocent. I lied when I said that she helped kidnap Bianca. It was all me," Thalia said. Hades studied her with cold eyes. His eyes were also puffy, like he had been crying.

"The love of my life is dead," Hades stated. He walked towards them. Thalia pulled Reyna backwards, only stopping when she felt the barrel of the gun digging into her spine. "You will all pay for that."

"You could have avoided this," Reyna said. "You could have let me take the powers of the Olympians and their kids. There was no need for this violence."

Thalia felt the gun move from her back, and it fired. She yelled as pain tore through leg. She collapsed to a knee, and Reyna turned towards her. The butt of a gun slammed into Reyna's jaw, and she fell to the ground near Thalia.

_I am a monster, Huntress. I never claimed to be a misunderstood hero. I know what I am, but what are you?_

"Stop," Thalia begged. She gripped her leg with both hands. It was all happening again. It couldn't be. Bianca stared at them and slowly took a few steps forward. She no longer had her handcuffs, and it was easy to see how bad her hands were shaking.

_To be a hero, you must learn how to make decisions, no matter how hard they are._

"The Olympians had to pay for their sins," Hades said. He grabbed Reyna by her shirt. Reyna slowly looked up at him. "Should I just let them go? How is that fair to all of those who have suffered or died because of the Olympians?"

"It's a useless cycle of violence," Reyna hissed. She spat a tooth out. "Their kids will come after you, and when you kill them, you will claim self defense. How many people are you going to kill?

_Let me die. I have lived a happy and full life._

"It is your fault my family is fractured, dead, or captured," Hades said. He pulled Reyna to her feet. "I made a mistake in giving you mercy, and I paid the price. I will never make that mistake again."

_Make your choice._

"Leave her alone!"Thalia yelled. Hades slowly looked at her. Thalia didn't care about her safety anymore. She had caused Reyna to die once before, and she was not going to allow that to happen again. "Kill me instead."

"You will be next," Hades promised. Reyna shot her hand forward, but Hades caught her wrist. His gloved hand tightened around her wrist. "I am not fool. I remember all about your powers, and if you think you will take mine, you are naive."

Thalia looked down at the ground and ignored all of the pain in her knee. She launched herself into Hades and Reyna, and the three of them hit the ground hard. Thalia quickly tried to stand, but someone kicked her hard in the stomach. She collapsed to the ground and wheezed for breath.

Reyna slammed into Charon and tried to wrestle the gun from him. He slammed his forehead into hers, and she stumbled backwards. Charon flipped the gun in his hands, and he slammed the butt of his gun into Reyna's temple. She collapsed to her hands and knees.

"Stop!" Thalia wheezed. Charon looked at her and then kicked Reyna in the temple. She crumpled to the ground. Charon grabbed the back of Reyna's shirt and pulled her to her knees. He slammed his gun into her temple once again. "Stop! She's hurt enough."

Charon let go of Reyna and stepped away. Reyna collapsed to the ground and didn't move. Thalia stared in horror. She felt Hades grab her shirt and pull her to her feet. Bianca took a few steps towards them.

"Father," Bianca whispered in a quiet voice. Hades slowly looked at her. "Please stop this. Don't hurt them anymore."

"I'm doing this for you," Hades said softly. For a moment, there was kindness in his eyes. "For Nico. For everyone who has died or suffered because the Olympians are cowards. I have lost so much, Bianca, and I will do what I must to hold onto what I have left: you."

"Just don't do this in front of me, please," Bianca begged. After a few moments, Hades dropped Thalia. A cry left Thalia as she collapsed, and she gripped her leg.

"We just have the two of us," Hades said softly. He grabbed Bianca's arm. Bianca suddenly turned and hugged him tightly.

"I love you father," Bianca said softly. She moved her hand to touch her father's neck, and Hades' eyes widened. "But, this is the end of us."


	36. Aftermath

Hylla parked her car and stared at the garage in front of her. She had made it to city hall, only to find no one there. The door to the room that Reyna and Thalia had been in was open, and the room was empty. Hylla had found the security feed and watched in horror as the two were taken.

Hylla had tried to go through the cameras of the nearby streets, but none of it showed her what kind of car the two had been stuffed in or where it went. Then, she received a text on her phone. It was from Thalia and had an address in it. Hylla rushed there without caring for anything else. All that mattered was her baby sister.

Hylla got out of the car and slowly walked towards the garage. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. Hylla took a step back and let out a shaky breath. Then, she slammed her shoulder into the door. It fell open, and she stumbled into the garage.

The first thing Hylla did was dive into cover. She tried to focus on her surroundings, but the only thing she heard was crying. Hylla slowly peeked out and stared. Bianca was sitting next to her father and crying over his corpse. Bianca looked unharmed, but feral sobs wracked her body.

Thalia was sitting next to Bianca. Her face was pale and almost gray. Her pant leg was covered in blood, and her eyes drifted open and close. Thalia looked at Hylla and then focused back on Bianca. One of her hands was resting on Bianca's shoulder. There was one body that looked like it belonged to Charon.

Hylla didn't care about them though. She vaulted over the cover and ran right to Reyna's side. Reyna was laying on her stomach. Her face rested on the ground, and there was a small pool of blood beneath her head. Hylla increased her pace.

This could not be happening again. Hylla was not going to lose Reyna. Not again. She couldn't, and she wouldn't. Hylla slid next to her sister. If Reyna was dead, Hylla would not be able to live another minute. She could not go through it again. Hylla placed a hand to Reyna's pulse, and a cry left her.

"Oh god, Reyna. Why do you have to scare me so much?" Hylla whispered. She closed her eyes and focused on Reyna's steady pulse. "Can you hear me?"

Reyna's eyes flickered open. She stared at Hylla for a few moments and then closed her eyes. Hylla spoke in a whisper, "Reyna, stay awake. Okay. Stay awake. Does your head hurt?"

"Fine," Reyna slurred. She tried to move, but her face paled. Hylla gently placed a hand to her back. "Fine."

"You're not fine," Hylla whispered. She gently tried to help Reyna sit up. Reyna's right arm grabbed onto Hylla's shirt, and she blinked rapidly. A bloody bandage was wrapped around her forearm "What's wrong?"

Reyna placed her other hand to the ground like she was trying to steady herself. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused. Hylla cursed and gently laid Reyna back on the ground. She spoke, "You just rest, okay. Just rest. I'm going to get help."

The grip fell away from Hylla's shirt. Reyna slowly placed both hands to her head and groaned in pain. Hylla stood and moved to Thalia's side. She spoke, "Reyna needs a hospital. You do too."

"No. We can't call an ambulance," Thalia muttered. "The press will find out."

"I don't care," Hylla snapped. She took an angry breath. "Reyna's in bad shape, and you are just a few drops of blood from bleeding out. Even if they see the corpses, we'll lie. We'll spin the story around."

"What happened at the meet?" Thalia slowly asked. She tried to grab Bianca, but the girl didn't let go of her father's corpse.

"I don't know," Hylla answered. "When you two didn't answer your earpieces, I rushed to find you. When I got the text, I came right over."

Thalia nodded and closed her eyes. Hylla heard a retching sound and turned her head. She stared as Reyna vomited up what little food she had eaten over the last few days. Hylla cursed and moved back to Reyna's side.

"Sorry for this," Hylla said. She pulled Reyna to her feet. Reyna stumbled and collapsed against her. Hylla carried Reyna towards the other two and sat with her. She cradled her sister's head. There was a nasty gash near her temple that seemed to be the source of the pool of blood. "We're going to get you to a hospital."

"Bianca needs time to grieve," Thalia began. Hylla looked at her and nodded. She still grabbed her phone. "They'll take his body away!"

"The living are more important right now," Hylla snapped. She opened her phone with one hand and cradled Reyna's head with the other. One of Reyna's hands gripped her shirt tightly. Reyna's other hand rested on her jaw. Hylla leaned in close. "Just stay awake. I know it's bad. You just need to stay awake."

Reyna didn't answer. She just stared ahead with those glazed over eyes. Hylla looked and kissed Reyna's cheek gently. She spoke, "Just stay with me. I love you so much, Reyna. Just stay awake for me. We're going to get you to a hospital soon."

* * *

"You should have something to drink," a voice said. Hylla's eyes snapped open, and she slowly looked up at Kinzie. A cup of coffee was handed to her. Hylla slowly took the cup and rubbed her eyes. "Reyna's in her room. The doctor wants to speak to you."

Hylla slowly took a sip of her coffee and nodded. She stood and followed Kinzie. After making it to the hospital, the first thing Hylla did was call Kinzie. She had almost cried upon hearing Kinzie's voice. After telling her everything that happened, Kinzie rushed to the hospital.

When Hylla saw Kinzie, she collapsed into her arms crying. It felt so good to see her once again. Hylla glanced behind her. Bianca was sitting in a chair next to Hazel. Neither were talking. Frank and Leo sat near them.

Jason was in surgery. Apparently, Letus had him in a death grip and was killing his organs. Annabeth then slammed a car into Letus, just in time to keep Jason from having his organs completely and utterly destroyed. There was still organ damage though. Jason was going to need either another freak with healing powers to step into the light or a few organ transplants if he was going to make it. Luckily for him, they had both.

The three remaining Olympians stood around the lobby. Blood covered Venus from head to toe, and she looked exhausted. Vulcan sat near her and stared at the blood on his cane. Minerva paced around and seemed to be lost in though.

Hylla wasn't sure what exactly had happened at the meeting. She just knew that the three old ladies with canes had been killed. Vulcan eviscerated Theia with the shotgun in his cane, Venus had beaten all kinds of information out of Oceanus. The most important thing was the name of the healer that had helped bring Reyna back to life. They were going to get that healer to save Jason.

Annabeth was sitting in a chair next to Percy. Near them was Piper, who just stared at her mother. Hylla watched them for a few moments and then followed behind Kinzie once again. A sigh left her. Pluto's friends had given their lives for Pluto to escape with his daughter, only for his daughter to kill him. In the end, Pluto failed. He didn't kill anyone else at the meeting place and purge Olympian Plains of its so called tyrants, but the damage had been done. Sometimes, being the survivor was worse than dying.

There was only one person Hylla cared about though. They made it to the doctor. Hylla spoke, "How's my sister?"

"She's going to need surgery for her jaw, but with how severe her concussion is, we don't want to put her under anesthesia just yet. Her arm was stitched up, but we still haven't figured if she needs surgery or not" the doctor answered. He eyed Hylla warily. Hylla lifted her chin. "There will be some brain damage as well."

"Define brain damage," Hylla said quietly. She swallowed painfully.

"I'm not sure the extent yet, but the frontal lobe was damaged," the doctor answered. "It could vary from her memory to her emotions."

"Is there anything we can do?" Hylla asked. She felt Kinzie grab her arm tightly.

"It's just a matter of rest and seeing what happens. These matters vary from patient to patient. There is a small chance she may recover fully," the doctor explained.

"Can I see her?" Hylla asked. The doctor nodded and led her down the hall. Hylla felt sick to her stomach. She was grateful that Reyna was alive, but this was still Hylla's fault. Why did she drag Reyna into this world of heroes and villains?

That was something Hylla would never forgive herself for. She walked into Reyna's room and studied her. Reyna was sitting back against the bed and staring ahead. Upon seeing Hylla, a small smile came to her face.

"Hey," Hylla said softly. She walked towards Reyna and sat by her. "I know you're not suppose to talk or move your head. Just grab my hand if you're okay."

Reyna gently grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. Kinzie sat by them and spoke, "I've been taking care of your dogs. They miss you."

Reyna's smile widened, and she sighed. Her gaze focused on the door, and her question was clear. Hylla answered. "I think Thalia's still in surgery, but it looks like she'll be fine. You need to just rest and make a full recovery."

"I missed you so much," Hylla continued. She sat by Reyna and kissed her cheek gently. "I am not letting you go again, okay?"

Reyna rested her head on Hylla's chest and closed her eyes. She relaxed against her. Kinzie spoke," We'll be there together."

"Together," Reyna whispered in a soft voice. She barely moved her jaw, but Hylla still gave her a look. Reyna made a laughing noise and then relaxed. Hylla cradled her sister. It didn't matter if the world ended then and there. Hylla was with her little sister, and that was all that mattered. "Love you."

"I love you too," Hylla said. She looked down. "If you want to stay here, we can. I was just scared before. Scared of what would happen if we stayed. Now, I just want to be with you."

Reyna didn't answer. She just stared ahead and sighed. Kinzie rubbed Reyna's back and spoke, "Don't forget about me."

"We won't," Hylla promised. She smiled. "You two are my family, and no matter what happens, we can get through it together."


	37. Au Revoir

**Thank you everyone for the support. I hope everyone enjoys the last chapter.**

* * *

"I didn't think I would find you here," Thalia began. She stared down at the tombstone in front of her. Reyna was sitting by it and studying the inscription. Thalia shifted on her crutches and hobbled towards Reyna. The last few weeks had been difficult, both mentally and physically, and Thalia just wanted it to be over with. "How are you feeling?"

Reyna shrugged and looked down at her lap. Her jaw was still wired shut. Thalia placed a gentle hand to Reyna's shoulder. The two hadn't actually talked since they were both released from the hospital. They had sent a few texts back and forth, but neither of them seemed to be willing to talk about their relationship.

Thalia wasn't sure how to feel. Grief filled her heart and made it hard to think. She hadn't slept well at all for the last few weeks, until she downed enough sleeping pills to nearly stop her heart. Thalia and Jason had moved in with Annabeth and Minerva, but that really only made things worse. It was just a reminder of everything that had happened.

Thalia's father and step mother was dead. The only person that she had was Jason. Her mentor was dead. The Olympians that she saw as family were dead. It was such a waste, and it made Thalia sick to her stomach.

That damned bastard Hades got his wish. All of the Titans had been killed. The heroes were no more. Minerva and Venus had officially retired, with Vulcan having stated his retirement long ago. The remaining Olympians had forbidden them from stopping anymore criminals. All powers were not to be used. The safety of Olympian Plains would now fall up on the police.

A nudge knocked Thalia out of her thoughts. She looked to her side, and Reyna motioned to her phone. Thalia grabbed her own phone and looked at the text from Reyna. It had been the only way for them to communicate.

**I never got to say goodbye to Nico.**

"I'm sorry," Thalia said. She knew that Reyna and Nico had been great friends. Thalia did her best to rub Reyna's shoulder. Reyna looked down at the bandage that was wrapped tightly around her arm. "Do you want to get dinner tonight? Maybe talk about everything?"

Thalia still wasn't sure how to feel. She wanted to get back together with Reyna, but there was also times when she wanted to scream and yell at Reyna. After all, Reyna admitted to letting Hades out of his cell. If Hades had never left his cell, Thalia's family would still be 's phone buzzed again.

**Hylla and I have plans tonight.**

"Can I stop by for a hour or two then?" Thalia asked. Reyna didn't answer. "Are you going to keep avoiding me like you have been?"

**I've spent most of my time at the hospital.**

"Laying around and doing nothing," Thalia muttered. Reyna looked up at her and glared. Thalia sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong."

Reyna slowly made it to her feet. She stared down at the grave for a long moment and then looked down at her hand. Thalia did as well. There was a small, black iron ring in Reyna's hand. Thalia realized it had belonged to Nico.

"Did Bianca give you that?" Thalia asked. Reyna nodded. "Nico's death really hit you hard, didn't it?"

Reyna looked at her and then looked down at her phone. Her finger tapped against the keyboard, but it felt like an eternity before she sent her text.

**Nico was like a little brother to me. I haven't had time to properly grieve him. It makes me sick to my stomach that I helped the people who murdered him.**

Thalia remained silent. Reyna studied her, and the two made eye contact. Thalia finally looked away and spoke, "Can we talk now then?"

Reyna shrugged and started to walk, but she moved slowly. Thalia adjusted her grip on her crutches and followed behind. Thalia spoke, "I know I said a lot of things about you when I was mad. But, I really want to make things up with you."

**I'm sorry, Thalia.**

Thalia wanted to tell Reyna that she didn't have to apologize, but that wasn't the truth. Thalia did want an apology and answers. She wanted to know why Reyna had really released Hades from his cell. How badly did the Titans brainwash her? Why had she done those things? Did she regret what she did?

"I'm sorry too," Thalia said. She looked at Reyna, but for some reason, Reyna wouldn't meet her eyes. "Hey, I know I've been distant these last few weeks and haven't visited you."

Reyna stopped walking and looked down at the ground. Then, she shifted her phone in her hand. Upon looking up, it seemed like she was about to start crying.

**Before you were discharged, do you remember the voicemail that you sent me?**

"Voicemail?" Thalia questioned. Reyna looked down at her phone and clicked on it. Thalia winced as her voice played over the phone.

"Reyna is the one who released Hades from his cell," Thalia said over the voicemail. Pain shot

through Thalia's heart. She remembered exactly what she had said, but she really didn't mean any of it. Pain medication had made her tongue loose, and she had been bothered by lawyers asking her about her father's estate. She was just upset and trying to get anger out. "How can I not blame her?"

There was a muffled voice in the background. It belonged to Annabeth, and she was trying to tell Thalia not to blame Reyna. All Thalia could do was listen in horror as the message continued, "I keep going back and forth, but I just can't get over it. The others were going to let Hades rot, but Reyna decided to free him. None of this would have happened if she hadn't made such an idiotic mistake."

"My father is dead because of her. Your mother almost died because of her. The adults we have known for our entire lives that were like family are dead because of her," the voicemail continued. Thalia wanted to grab the phone and close it, because she knew what came next. "Sometimes, I wish Reyna really had died."

Reyna ended the voicemail and looked Thalia in the eyes. Her fist clenched tightly, like she was going to take a swing. Thalia spoke, "Reyna. I am so sorry. I didn't mean any of those things."

Reyna raised her chin and met Thalia's eyes. The message was clear, and all Thalia could do was look down. She spoke, "Fine. You're right. I did mean it, but I'm sorry that I did. Every time I look at you, I think about how you caused for my father to die. Your actions almost got everyone killed."

"But, I want to work past my anger. I want to be friends again, and maybe even more," Thalia said. Reyna studied her for a few moments and then looked down at her phone. She typed into her phone, but her finger hovered over the send button for a long time. Thalia felt her phone buzz and looked at it.

**Dating me won't bring them back. It won't make everything like it use to be. You'll still feel hollow and empty inside. You'll still hate me.**

"I don't hate you," Thalia began. Reyna gave her a look. "I don't! I just can't handle all of my emotions right now. I'm sorry, Reyna. Please just be friends with me again. I don't mean what I said."

Reyna looked at her phone for a long moment. Her shoulders sagged, and she typed into her phone. Then, she turned and walked away without another word. Thalia glanced at her phone.

**You'll have my answer tonight.**

Thalia resisted the urge to throw her phone to the ground and then beat it with her crutch. Instead, she stared down at Nico's grave. The two hadn't exactly been close, but Nico didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve to be caught up in the war of the Olympians and Titans. Was that why Hades killed their parents? To avenge his son?

It was such a waste. There was a pile of bodies and not a damn thing to show for it. Thalia's father was dead, and as much as she hated Juno, she never wanted to see her step mother die. Her mentor, Diana, was dead. The only people left were those who would not understand.

Venus had already been twisting the story. She claimed that Hades had attacked City Hall, and there had been a bloodbath. Prominent members of society, like Jupiter, had been there and caught in the crossfire. Olympians, like Zeus, had given their lives to stop the madness. The only thing Venus could do was hide the real identities of the dead and hopefully give them peace that way.

Vulcan dove back into his machinery and hadn't left his workshop since. Minerva was the one who was with each of the kids, but she insisted that they all get therapy. Considering the last person that gave them all therapy tried to kill them, Thalia was a little hesitant. And, she didn't need therapy. She needed to talk with Reyna.

As for her friends, none of them were doing okay. Bianca had been wracked with guilt the entire time and had hardly eaten anything or slept. Losing her brother and then killing her father in the same week was beyond traumatizing. Hazel wasn't doing much better.

Jason had spent most of his time with Piper. He kept breaking down if anything even remotely reminded them of their father, and Thalia was the same way. This was the first time in all those weeks that she could think of her father without tears filling her eyes. Frank and Leo had been spending a lot of time with Hazel.

Thalia shook her head and looked at the ground. Letus and Hecate were the only two survivors, but Hecate had disappeared. Letus was sitting in prison and awaiting his trial. Apparently, he refused to speak to anyone. Hecate had disappeared, but she also had her knee destroyed. Thalia almost felt a sense of deja vu over this too, but she knew that it wouldn't turn out like last time. If Hecate even thought about breaking out Letus, they would know.

Thalia sighed and looked up at the sky. She didn't know how things were going to work out with Reyna, and Thalia's emotions were all over the place. She was upset one moment and depressed the next. Would it even be a wise idea to get back together at this point? They both needed time.

All Thalia had to do was wait for later that night and stop by Reyna's house. They would talk everything out and make up. Reyna just needed time to clear her head, and Thalia just needed some pain medication and an excuse for why she said what she said. Thalia had to calm down. Everything would work out.

* * *

A pained groan escaped Thalia as she opened the car door. Annabeth gave her a look, but Thalia just waved her hand. She slowly got out of the car and gripped her crutches. Her gaze focused on the house in front of her. Hylla's car wasn't outside, and neither was Kinzie's. Hopefully, Reyna was home.

Thalia slowly made her way towards the front door and knocked on it. There was no answer, and she didn't hear the running of Reyna's dogs. Thalia knocked on the door again and waited. When she still didn't get a response, she pressed the door bell. Thalia waited a minute before grabbing the door knob and opening the door.

"Reyna?" Thalia called. She stepped into the house and frowned. Her heart dropped to her stomach. The house was completely barren. It was like no one lived there. Thalia slowly walked through the house and checked out each room. There was nothing left in the house.

Thalia looked down at her phone and scrolled to Reyna's name. She clicked on it and called. Thalia placed the phone to he ear, and after a few moments, a woman's voice spoke, "I'm sorry. The number you are trying to reach is unavailable."

Thalia lowered her phone and stared at the wall in front of her. They had just left. Reyna had just left Olympian Plains and did not say a word to Thalia. Was this what she meant earlier? Was this the kind of answer that Thalia was suppose to get? What kind of sick joke was this?

An angry breath left Thalia, and she fought back her tears. She turned to leave, but the sunlight glinted off of something. Thalia turned her head and looked at the item that rested on the kitchen counter. She slowly walked towards it and stared down at the face plate.

The face plate belonged to Reyna. There was a bullet hole near the top of it, right where Reyna had been shot all those months ago. Thalia grabbed the face plate and ran a finger over it. Then, she collapsed against a wall and slowly slid down it. Tears came to her eyes, and she didn't hold them back.

Thalia knew what kind of message this was. Praetor was dead. The Reyna that she knew was dead. Their relationship would never continue, and it was all Thalia's fault. Thalia let the face plate drop to the ground. Then, she buried her face in her hands and cried miserably.

Her father was gone. Her step mother was gone. Her mentor was gone. Her powers were gone. Thalia's entire world had been destroyed, and the one person, the only person, that Thalia thought would be there for her had left her, all because of a stupid voicemail. Thalia didn't care what happened now or in the future. There was nothing to live for, and nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

**You didn't think I would leave you like this, did you? There will be a sequel coming out. I hope everyone has enjoyed this story, and I hope to see you for the next one.**


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